The Obscure Line
by Athazagoraphobiac
Summary: When the love Elena has for a 24-year-old art connoisseur named Stefan is compromised by the appearance of his dark brother, who will she choose? And when she learns their secret, will she choose at all? *Warning* Smut, lemons, mature language/content.
1. Chapter 1

**Warning:** This story will contain mature language and subject matters. Not appropriate for those under the age of 18. Be aware.

**Disclaimer:** I do not take credit for the creation of any of the characters in this story. The plot, however, is my own.

* * *

A small smile emerged on my lips as I woke to soft kisses being planted along my bare spine. Chill bumps arose as his cool breath touched my skin and I snuggled my head deeper into the plush white feather pillow. My movement alerted him to my being awake and his hands slid around my sides before pulling me against his chest.

His head nuzzled into the crook of my neck. "Are you awake?" he whispered and I could feel him smiling against my skin.

"No," I laughed and buried my head under the silky, rose-colored comforter.

"Oh, no you don't," he shot back with a chuckle, pulling the covers back down and quickly flipping me over to my other side so that we were facing each other. His hands moved up to hold the sides of my face. "Your face is far too beautiful to cover up," he whispered.

I let my face melt against his hand and looked up into his eyes.

Stefan was more than beautiful. He was the epitome of what was a man. His body was sculpted with immaculate muscles. The structured lines of his face were framed by perfect pieces of brown disheveled hair and his smile was sure to light up any room. But beyond any of those heart stopping traits were his eyes – his sparkling green eyes that literally took my breath away.

It only took two months for me to become completely infatuated with the 24-year-old fine art connoisseur. I would be the first to admit that I didn't know a whole lot about Stefan besides a few basic details, but I knew that the connection I had with him was something I had never experienced in the 21 years I had lived. And above all, I trusted Stefan. Trust was something I learned not to hand out at an early age.

"Good morning," I greeted him softly.

He laughed. "Good afternoon, you mean."

My smile faded and I sat up quickly. "What? Afternoon?" I turned to look at the bedside alarm clock and sure enough, the time read 4:15 PM. "Oh shit," I groaned, running my hands over my face.

"What's wrong?" he asked, worry apparent in his tone.

I grabbed the comforter and held it tightly against my chest before starting to climb out of the bed. "I had two finals today, Stefan," I answered as I started to search the room for my clothes.

"Will they let you make it up?" he asked from behind me.

I let out one quick humorless chuckle before responding. "Very unlikely." I spotted pieces of my clothes strewn about near the door, momentarily reminding me of the very…heated entrance I made with Stefan into this room.

"Will you fail the classes without taking those tests?"

I sighed as I picked up my jeans and started shrugging them up. "More than likely."

"Well, would they reconsider with the right…incentive?"

I turned around to look at him. He was lying on his side with his head sitting in the palm of his hand, propped up on one elbow. A sheet lied casually across his midsection and I couldn't help admiring his chiseled chest. I quickly forgot the question.

He lifted an eyebrow. "Would they?"

I shook my head slightly. "I'm sorry, what?"

He grinned slightly before repeating himself. "Would your teachers allow you to make up these tests if they were given the right incentive?"

My eyes narrowed slightly and I tilted my head. "What incentive, exactly?"

"Monetary," he answered and shrugged as if it were no big deal.

I shook my head and turned to find my shirt. "I don't have sufficient funds to bribe my professors, Stefan." I began to lean down to pick up my tank top when I suddenly felt his arms wrapping around my waist from behind. My breath caught in my chest. "How the hell, Stefan?" were the only words I managed to say as I looked over my shoulder at him. I hadn't heard him move on the bed, much less run across the floor. He was extremely stealthy and although it was impressive, it made me feel like I should somehow be concerned.

He kissed my cheek. "Elena, I wasn't talking about your funds."

"No," I answered instantly. "I'm not taking any money from you." I stepped away from him and grabbed my shirt. With one hand I continued to hold the comforter up to conceal my bare chest while the other pulled the tank top awkwardly over my head. "Thank you for the offer, though," I finished, dropping the comforter and turning to face him. My heartbeat skipped as I took in the naked man standing before me. Slowly, he stepped forward and lowered his head to mine.

"Well, what sort of incentive would you need?" he asked softly before covering my lips with his own. His kiss was all it took to remove me from the current time and place. Every touch from him set my nerves on fire and, to be perfectly blunt, turned me on. My hands lifted to slide up his arms, over his shoulders, and into his hair. My fingers tangled into his brown locks and I pulled his face closer to mine. I felt his lips part slightly and his tongue touch my lower lip, a silent request for my mouth to open. I agreed and let his tongue glide into my mouth, my tongue quickly seeking out his and deepening our kiss. His taste, as expected, was magnificent and I would be content with kissing him forever.

Very lightly, he placed his hands on my hips and moved me backwards until I was flat against the door. I felt his very obvious arousal push against my belly and a moan escaped me. Stefan finally leaned away when both of our breaths were escaping us jaggedly and laid his cheek on the top of my head. I closed my eyes as the separation brought me back to reality and focused on slowing my breathing.

He began to chuckle quietly above me and I titled my head back to look up at him, my face questioning. He leaned his forehead to mine and smiled. "It's funny how this position seems to be how you enter _and_ leave."

I rolled my eyes and felt a blush creep across my skin. He was right. As soon as we had come to his room last night, he had me against this same door, my clothes basically falling from my body.

I pulled my fingers from his hair and slid my palms down to his chest. Gently, I pushed him back and stepped to the side to pass him. "I should be going," I stated quietly, walking over to my shoes. I sat on the edge of the bed and began putting them on.

"You never answered my question," he said, bending down to pick up the comforter I dropped and wrapping it around himself.

"What question?" I asked, trying to think back to remember but only pulling up memories of me against the door.

"What incentive would you need?"

I tied the last lace and stood up. "You mean to take your money?" He nodded. "Stefan, I already told you, I wouldn't take it. No matter the 'incentive'."

Stefan's wealth had always made me slightly uncomfortable. I was doing my best to just get by while working at both an Italian restaurant and a hotel – where I happened to meet Stefan. Neither job paid very well and I still went to school full time, drastically cutting down my available work hours. However, I refused to feel sorry for myself and refused to take handouts from anyone; even Stefan. I had to learn how to fend for myself at an early age when my parents were killed in a car accident. My aunt took in my brother and me, but she was still nearly a child herself in many ways. I had to face the hardships of adulthood much sooner than I would have liked. Stefan, as I was to understand it, had not faced any serious struggles such as that. His parents, like mine, were deceased, but his family had always been extremely lucrative and he inherited a fortune. He graduated school early, went on to college, graduated that early as well, and took over his fathers business for appraising, collecting, selling, and admiring fine art. He was a well known curator and traveled the world often.

He came to me and pulled me into a tight hug. I let my head rest comfortably on his chest. "So when will I see you next?" he asked, kissing the top of my hair.

I shrugged. "When do you want to see me next?"

"Tonight."

I smiled and closed my eyes. I would never understand why Stefan wanted my company. I was nowhere near on his level. He was rich and powerful and incredibly handsome. I was poor and ordinary.

"Well, I'm gonna' run over to the school and talk to my professors, but then I have to work third shift at the hotel. I won't get off until 7 AM tomorrow morning."

He shrugged. "Come here after."

I laughed. "You'll be asleep."

"And you'll be tired. We can sleep together."

I turned up my head to look into his face and smiled. "Are you sure?" The thought of sleeping in that amazingly comfortable bed again made me nearly giddy. The bed in my shabby apartment always guaranteed sleep with restless fits.

A small grin appeared on his lips before he leaned down and kissed me gently. As he pulled away, a shiver ran through my body. "I guess I'll take that as your yes," I said to myself. He chuckled and moved over to his dresser, grabbing my large purse then bringing it back to me.

"So I'll see you in the morning?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow slightly.

"Yes. In the morning," I replied, lifting up on my toes to quickly peck his lips. "Bye, Stefan," I smiled, slinging the purse over my shoulder and heading for the door. I threw one last glance over my shoulder at him and felt the butterflies in my stomach stir before closing the door.

* * *

As I walked up the stairs to Stefan's room, I thought about how I would approach the topic of my professors to him. Yesterday, my conversation with them about making up the tests had gone surprisingly…and suspiciously well. Both professors were quick to jump on board with allowing me to take them right then and there. I had of course been late to work because of the unexpected opportunities, but I was sure that I wasn't going to fail either class now.

Work had gone by just as smoothly. I had no complaints to deal with and all of our guests seemed happy enough. When I finally left at 7, I was nearly beaming with how great the night had gone.

Slowly, I pushed open his bedroom door and entered, closing the door behind me. I smiled when I saw his sprawled out form beneath the comforter. Quickly, I undressed and threw on the pajama shorts and tank top from my purse – clothes meant to have been worn the previous night. As soon as I climbed into the bed, Stefan rolled over and pulled me to him. I laughed when I realized he was awake.

"Good morning, Miss Gilbert," he whispered, burying his head into my neck and kissing me.

"Good morning, Mr. Salvatore," I responded, mimicking his eloquent manner of speech. "Did you sleep well?"

"It would have been better had you been here," he answered, sending a blush across my skin. "How was work?"

"Good."

"And the talk with your professors?"

At this I pulled back a little and propped my head up with my elbow, looking down my nose at him. "Startlingly well," I replied, lifting my eyebrow slightly.

He grinned. "Well, that's good."

"Would you have had anything to do with that?" I asked bluntly.

His smile grew and he leaned forward to nuzzle my neck again.

I gasped. "I knew it!" I couldn't help but laugh. "Stefan, I told you not to."

He shrugged and his words were slightly muffled against my skin. "Professors are always willing to accept substantial funds for their research."

I groaned and plopped down on my back. "I guess I should say thank you?" I asked, closing my eyes. Suddenly, I felt slight pressure along my body and opened my eyes to see him hovering above me.

"Maybe," he answered, leaning down to close the gap between our lips. A smile grew on my lips, making it difficult for our kiss to last, so his lips wandered over my jaw and down my neck.

"Is this going to be my thank you?" I laughed. I felt him nod as he nipped lightly at the skin at the base of my throat. The act sent chills through me and I felt myself quickly becoming aroused. My hands moved around his sides to his back. He kissed back up my throat until his lips found my own again, quickly pushing his tongue past my lips and into my mouth. I lifted my head slightly to deepen our kiss and felt a small groan coming from him rumble against my lips. One of his hands lifted from the bed and slid under my tank top. He moved up slightly, lightly grazing the lower curve of my breast, then back down to grip the hem of my shirt.

My breathing became labored as our tongues danced together and I felt my center growing wet, a clear indication of my excitement. I arched my back slightly, pushing my chest against his and felt my nipples harden between our bodies. He must have felt it, too, because I was quickly brought to a sitting position and my shirt was being brought over my head. As soon as it was off, Stefan lowered his head to suck at my neck again. I let my head fall back and a small moan escaped me.

I felt his lips trailing down, moving towards my breasts I assumed, when suddenly Stefan stopped all movement. I looked down at him and my stomach knotted uncomfortably as I thought about what I could have done wrong. "Stefan?"

He shook his head slightly and kept his head down, holding up a finger to indicate that I give him a moment. Nearly two minutes passed before Stefan sat up on his knees. "You're bleeding," he said in a concerned voice.

My brow furrowed. "What?"

Slowly, he lifted his hand and ran his finger below my nose. When he pulled it back, I saw the red tinge on his finger. My hand flew up to my nose and I felt the thick liquid beneath my fingers. "Shit," I muttered to myself. I pulled my fingers down and my stomach turned at the sight.

Stefan climbed out of bed and brought me two tissues.

I wiped at the blood and looked down to see spots of it running down my bare chest where it had dripped. Quickly, my thoughts went to the clean sheets and comforter of the bed I was sitting in and I jumped out. I held the tissues to my nose and couldn't help but feel embarrassed because of the current situation. "I'll be back. I'm just gonna' run down to the downstairs bathroom and clean up."

He smiled sympathetically. "Hurry back."

I nodded and quickly left the room. Nosebleeds had become a fairly common occurrence in my life since the passing of my parents, but had grown less frequent over the past year or so. I had never told Stefan about the problem and he had never witnessed it…well, before now. I shook my head and laughed at how perfect the timing was for this hindrance to reappear.

I walked down the steps and shivered slightly as I stepped through a draft. I hadn't thought to put my shirt back on before exiting the room, leaving me in only my ridiculously short pajama bottoms.

As I reached the first floor and turned past the banister, my heart jumped and I inhaled sharply as I ran into another person. I dropped the tissue I had been holding to my nose and moved back, trying to find my voice to scream. Two hands reached out to my shoulders to steady me and I jerked away, panic bubbling in my stomach.

"Hey, hey," a male voice soothed, "calm down. I didn't mean to scare you."

My back hit the banister of the staircase and I threw up my trembling hands. As my eyes adjusted to the dark room, I focused on the face of the man and felt my heart pick up beating in double time.

Standing before me was a man just as beautiful as, if not more than, Stefan. He was wearing jeans and a black v-neck shirt, covered with a black leather jacket. His nearly black hair was tousled casually, a few pieces hanging into his face. His jaws were sharp and pronounced and his staggering ice blue eyes were staring down at me with an odd glimmer in them.

"Who are you?" I gasped, shrinking back in case he was dangerous.

A smirk appeared on his lips and his eyes roamed over my partially naked, slightly bloody body. "I think I should ask you the same thing," he responded in a condescending tone.

* * *

**Authors Note:** So, I'm back to writing TVD fanfics. The others didn't work out quite as well. Anyhoo, hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter. Let me know what you think.

See you next chapter.

(By the way, follow me on Twitter for updates and occasional rambling. - APhobiac )


	2. Chapter 2

My skin heated as my blush returned under his too curious stare. Quickly, I folded my arms across my chest trying to conceal what I could of my breasts. His eyes leisurely made their way back up to connect with mine. He held out a hand and my eyes fell to stare at it.

"I'm Damon," he informed me. I ignored his hand and my eyes shot back to his face.

"That means nothing to me. Who are you?" I spat, hoping that some sort of menace traced my tone.

His sly smile remained as he stared at me. "You're awfully feisty," he muttered. "I'm Stefan's brother."

I felt my face fall in confusion at his words. Stefan and I had talked pretty extensively about our families. He had never mentioned a brother.

"So, who are you?" he asked, breaking my reverie.

"I'm, uh," I tried to gather my thoughts. "I'm Elena."

He held out his hand again with a slight lift of his eyebrow. "Nice to meet you, Elena." I stared at it again for several moments and he chuckled quietly before withdrawing. "It was worth a try," he smirked and I realized he was hoping I'd undercover my breasts by shaking his hand. A slight tinge of anger flared inside of me and I turned to leave him. His movements matched my own and he began ascending the staircase by my side.

"Why is there blood on you, Elena?" he asked in a tone that almost sounded patronizing. It confused me.

"I had a nosebleed," I answered him honestly while increasing my pace up the staircase.

"How convenient for Stefan," he chortled quietly.

I paused abruptly and turned half way to look at him. "What?" Again his statement had confused me.

He analyzed my face for several moments before a look of understanding crossed his own and he answered with "Ah. Nevermind," and then continued up the stairs.

I followed after him and as we were nearing Stefan's bedroom, Stefan rushed out of the door, a pure look of worry on his face. The sight of Damon brought him up short and he froze. "Damon?"

"Hello, brother."

Stefan's eyes moved to me and he took in my bare body. "Elena, go into the bedroom," he commanded. I nodded and moved between both men swiftly and entered the room. Stefan closed the door behind me and I immediately heard the muffled sound of his voice on the other side. The tenseness in his tone was obvious and I wondered why he had failed to mention Damon to me. I rushed across the room, plucked several tissues from the box, wiped the blood from my face and chest, then threw back on my pajama top.

As I made my way back toward the door, it flew open and Stefan came walking in. I could see Damon over his shoulder smirking at me from the hallway. Stefan whirled around to face him, one hand holding the door. "You need to leave," he said in a tenor that called for no argument, then pushed the door close. Damon's eyes never left mine.

Once the door separated us, I looked over at Stefan and saw the distress in his eyes. Slowly, I walked over to him and slid my arms around his waist. His went around my back and he pulled me tight. "I'm sorry you ran into him that way."

I nodded and bit down on my lower lip. "Stefan," I started timidly, "why didn't you tell me you had a brother?" I felt his chest expand with a deep inhale and his breath flow over my hair with the exhale.

"Damon isn't someone I want in my life," he answered. "It's easier to pretend he isn't by ignoring his existence."

My chest grew cold with his hate-laced words. I couldn't imagine an event so serious that it would cause someone to literally shun his or her own family. My brother, Jeremy, meant the world to me. There wasn't anything he could do that would change that. "What happened?"

He sighed and kissed the top of my head, then pulled away and went to the bed. "Not anything worth talking about right now." He climbed in and held up the covers. "Come to bed," he smiled softly. "I know how tired you must be."

Now that he had mentioned it, I did feel the fatigue from the night's events hitting me. My run-in with Damon had given me a pretty strong dose of adrenaline. Now that it was out of my system, I was left exhausted. I walked over to the bed and snuggled up under the covers. Stefan's strong arms pulled me to him and I let my head rest on his bicep. My palms reached up to lie on his chest and I let my eyelids shut.

My dreams that night were fitful as ice blue eyes and snide lips haunted me.

* * *

I woke to the mixed smell of bacon, toast, and eggs. A small smile lit up my face as I opened my eyes. Sitting beside me on the bed was the tray of food.

"Good afternoon," I heard Stefan say from across the room. I looked up to find him sitting in a rocking chair, staring at me adoringly.

"Hi," I answered and sat up, folding my legs Indian style. "This is for me?" He nodded and my smile grew. "Wow. Thank you, Stefan." I picked up the tray and sat it in my lap, then turned to look at him again. "Would you like some?" I asked, nodding my head towards the food.

He grinned and shook his head. "I've already eaten. But thank you." I nodded then lifted the fork. The first bite of eggs was incredible and I couldn't stifle the small moan that escaped me. I had become accustomed to not having breakfast with my odd work/school schedule. It never occurred to me I could have breakfast food in the afternoon as well.

I heard him chuckle. "Are they good?"

"Very."

"I'm glad. It's been a long time since I've made breakfast," he admitted.

"Well, you should definitely make it more often," I laughed.

I ate in silence for several minutes before he spoke again. "Do you have school tonight?"

I shook my head indicating that I didn't. "The semester is over, actually," I responded. "Those two tests yesterday were the last finals I had to take. We're out for winter break now."

"Oh, good. So you'll have more time to spend with me?" he smiled.

"I wish," I frowned. "No school just means more work in my world. My shifts will be doubled now that I'm available." I popped a piece of toast into my mouth.

Stefan sighed. "Elena, I already told you – if you need money, I'm more than happy to help."

Just as before, my head instantly started shaking. "No, Stefan." I looked up at him with an apologetic smile. "I'm fine taking care of myself. I mean, we've only really known each other for two months." I lowered my eyes and pulled my bottom lip in between my teeth for a moment. "I mean, we haven't even known each other long enough for you to feel comfortable with really telling me about your family." I glanced up at his face and saw that his brow had furrowed.

"Elena..." he started softly.

"Can't you just tell me why you hate him so much?" I interrupted.

He ran a hand over his face and into his hair with a deep exhale. "Because of a girl," he finally answered.

I looked back down at the bed. "Oh." I suddenly felt uncomfortable. Neither Stefan nor I had spoken to each other about past relationships and now I was finding out that he was once in a relationship so deep that he lost his brother over it.

He stood and walked over to me. "Look, I don't want to talk about Damon. Hopefully, last night will have been the last time I saw him."

"Do you think that'll be the case?" I asked, my eyes moving back up to him.

He shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. I think he'll come back." Stefan reached out a hand and lightly placed it against my cheek. I tilted my head into his hand. "Elena, promise me that if Damon does come around, you'll do your best not to be alone with him."

I brought my head back up and my brow pulled together. "Is he dangerous?" My heart thudded at the words. I already knew the answer to that question. Everything about my first encounter with Damon had given me the answer. Yes.

"Just promise me," Stefan whispered, his green eyes taking on a whole new intensity.

I simply nodded then looked back down at my food. "What time is it?"

He dropped his hand and shifted to find the clock. "Nearly 2."

I picked back up the fork and turned it slightly in my hand. "I have to be at work at 5."

"The hotel?"

"The restaurant."

"Would you like a ride?"

I shook my head and scooped up more eggs. "I can drive myself, thank you."

He stood from the bed. "Well, I actually have several things I need to take care of as well tonight." Reaching for his shirt that was tossed over a chair, he began to get dressed. "What time do you get off?"

"Midnight." I bit once more into a piece of toast before pushing the tray away altogether. I climbed out of the bed and headed for my overnight bag that held a pair of jeans and long-sleeved shirt. "I'm gonna' go to my apartment to get ready for work," I told him over my shoulder as I started dressing. "I didn't realize I would be here today so I didn't bring my work clothes." I picked up my shoes and sat in a nearby chair to put them on. As I worked, I realized Stefan had stopped speaking and an odd silence filled the room.

I looked up and Stefan was standing near his bedroom window, staring out with a near blank expression. Slowly, I crossed the floor and stood behind him, gently rubbing my palms up his arms. "Are you okay?" I asked softly.

He sighed and turned to face me. "Just worried."

My palms relaxed on his chest. "About what?"

"You."

I stared up into his eyes and tried to understand his statement. "There's nothing to worry about, Stefan."

He closed his eyes and brought his forehead to mine. "Just be careful," he said before leaning in to kiss me. His kiss was tender, yet I could feel a sense of apprehension in it. I lifted on my tiptoes to apply a bit more pressure before pulling away.

"I will," I promised with a small smile.

He grabbed my hand and together we left his room, walked down the stairs and out the front door. Stefan led me to my car, kissed me once more, then waved goodbye.

As I drove away and looked in my rearview mirror at the shrinking image of Stefan, my heart swelled with emotion at the thought of leaving him in his time of obvious distress.

In that moment, I knew without a doubt I loved Stefan.

* * *

The freezing night air blew steadily as I walked toward my car, causing my body to shudder and me pull my jacket tighter. My feet ached from waiting tables during the hectic dinner rush and my thoughts drifted to Stefan's warm, comforting bed. I wasn't sure if he wanted me to come over or not so I pulled out my cell phone and dialed his number.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hi, Stefan," I said with a smile even though he couldn't see me. His voice was sure to always make me happy. "What are you up to?"

He was silent for a moment. "I'm not…I'm just a little busy right now."

My smile fell and I paused at the back of my car. "Oh. Do you want me to let you go?"

"Um… No, no. I'm just having some dinner." The tone in which he said the words left me confused. "Are you off work?"

I shifted my purse on my shoulder. "Yeah. I just wanted to see if maybe you wanted to hang out or something."

"Sure," he responded quickly. "Would you like to stay the night as well?" His tone shifted to a joyful one and I almost doubted that I heard differently earlier.

"Only if you want me to."

He laughed. "So, I'll see you in about fifteen minutes?"

"Yeah." My smile returned. "See you later, Stefan."

"Bye, Elena" he replied then hung up the phone.

Although he had said he wanted me to come over, my stomach felt slightly uncomfortable with his hesitation. My first thoughts shifted to there possibly being another girl he was seeing. I mean, in all honesty, I would have understood if Stefan decided to go for another girl. As I believed from the very beginning, he and I were just on totally different levels – his being the higher one of course. But he expected me in fifteen minutes and, though possible, it would be quite difficult to rid of the evidence in that short amount of time.

I shook my head and pushed away the thoughts. Stefan wasn't like that. If he didn't want to be with me, he would just tell me, I was sure of it.

I slipped my cell phone into my back pocket and pulled my purse in front of my body, making my way to the driver side door. I rummaged around in the large bag, searching for my keys. The longer I searched, the more frozen my fingers grew and the more frustrated I became. I moved to the hood of my car, sat down my purse and pulled out my cell phone again to use as a flashlight. It took two more minutes – and me deciding to buy a new purse – to find the keys. I looped my index finger through the key ring, slung the purse back on my shoulder and spun around.

My cell phone fell from my hand and I heard it shatter on the concrete as I physically ran into Damon.

"Hello, Elena."

* * *

**Authors Note:** He just keeps popping up everywhere, huh? But that's okay with me...I love me some Damon. ;P

Hahahaha. Anyhoo, review the chapter and let me know what you think. (Just so you know, reviews make me write faster. :D)

Also, if you want updates on the story in between postings, follow me on twitter: APhobiac.

Also also, I want to take this time to thank my awesome beta reader, tsukikomew. She makes sure you guys aren't reading crap. Lol.

See you next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

My breathing picked up and my heart thumped uncomfortably with the scare. "Damon?"

His eyes fell to the ground and he frowned. "It seems your phone has broken." I followed his gaze and thought about how I wouldn't be able to call for help with no phone. He returned his eyes to mine. "I'll purchase you another one. It was my fault, after all."

"Um, thank you," I responded slowly, my thoughts running a mile a minute. I was exactly where Stefan had begged me not to be – alone with Damon.

"I apologize for frightening you…" he said with…faux? sincerity. I couldn't tell. "…Again," he finished after a few moments with a smirk, confirming the sincerity was indeed false.

I nodded. "Yeah, well, um, no problem." I lowered my head and moved to the left to get to the car door, trying very hard to steady my trembling hands and find the right key. "I guess I'll see you later," I told him, smiling gently.

He took two steps around me and leaned against the driver's door, blocking the handle and me from getting in. "Aren't you the least bit curious as to why I'm here?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

I shook my head, keeping my eyes low. "Not really. I figured it was just coincidence."

He chuckled and chills ran down my spine that had nothing to do with the frosty air. "Oh, Elena," he sighed. "Of course it's not just coincidence."

I bit down on my lower lip. "Then why are you here, Damon?"

He folded his arms across his chest. "I wanted to talk to you."

I glanced up at his face, his response surprising me. "About what?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Your relationship with Stefan."

I felt my temper spark slightly. I didn't know him and he didn't know me and he and Stefan were obviously not on good terms so he really had no right to intrude on our private lives. "What about it?"

"How well do you know him?"

I squared my shoulders and looked him right in the face, deciding I was tired of playing games and was just ready to go. "Well enough, I suppose."

He grinned. "Are you happy with him?"

I mimicked his stance and crossed my arms. "Quite frankly, Damon, my relationship with Stefan is none of your business."

He held up his palms and he said, "Whoa, there. No need to get catty." His words angered me more. "I was merely curious." His arms folded again.

"Okay, well, if that's all Damon, I would really like to go."

His eyes narrowed. "And where are you going?"

My mouth fell slack in astonishment. Obviously Damon didn't understand what was and wasn't appropriate to ask someone you had just met. "That's none of your business, Damon," I repeated.

"To Stefan's?"

I rolled my eyes and stepped forward, angling my body to push against him with my shoulder and open my car.

Abruptly, Damon spun me around and had me pinned against the door, his hands holding the roof of my car on either side of my shoulders. My keys fell from my hand and I stared wide-eyed into his face.

His eyes scanned over my face. "Why are you so rude to me, Elena?" My exhales were uneven and my heart pounded furiously. He bent his elbows slightly and leaned closer to me. "You really don't even know me."

I swallowed hard. "You don't know me either, Damon."

"True, but I'm not making any judgments of you based on preconceived notions due to the biased opinion of another."

I opened my mouth to answer, but instantly shut it again. I knew he was right, but I trusted Stefan and if Stefan said he was bad, then that's what I was going with. "Damon, I n-need to g-go," I stuttered quietly.

He leaned forward even more until I felt his breath flow coolly over my face. "I don't think you do," he replied with smooth authority. "Elena, I own several night clubs in the area. Would you mind accompanying me to one tonight?"

I shook my head and cleared my throat, praying my speech would come out more steady. "No, Damon. I need to go."

He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again and fixated his stare with mine. "Elena," he started and I could suddenly hear his voice ringing in my head. I found myself incapable of turning away and a strange pull tethered me to the ground. The world drifted away and all I could see was Damon. All I could feel was Damon. "You will come with me tonight." I nodded because I suddenly knew I would go anywhere with him.

He shoved off the car and held out his hand to me. I blinked a few times and shook my head slightly, not understanding what just happened. I stared at his hand for just a moment before placing mine in his own. Thoughts of Stefan whirled in my mind, but for some reason I was going with Damon. I was sure I didn't want to, but it suddenly felt _right_ to. Like I had been meant to leave with him even before I knew him. With every step he took, my body was tugged in the same direction – his body the magnet and mine the iron.

An hour later I found myself sitting in the VIP section of an exclusive nightclub. Nearly as soon as we had arrived, Damon had needed to take care of some business and left me alone. I used that time to study the large room. It was completely circular in shape and a plush, black couch formed itself along the wall all the way around. In the center of the room was a large, round, knee-high glass table. Several drinks, all still full, sat on top of it. The dark red walls were decorated with flowing, black sheer curtains. At the entrance of the room, one of those curtains were set up nearly like a shower curtain and could be pulled out to act as a partial barrier. However, if that curtain did not grant enough privacy, an actual wooden door was hidden in the wall and could be slid out and locked. Currently, the door was shut but not locked.

The thick walls of the round room muffled the blaring music coming from the dance floor and made it much easier for me to think. I didn't understand how I had gotten where I was. I _wanted_ to leave and go to Stefan's, but for some reason I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Every time I tried to think about why I had agreed to come, my mind went blank, I started to feel slightly lightheaded, and then I would give up and my thoughts instantly went to something else, almost like my mind wouldn't allow me to bring up those thoughts. It confused me but something in me told me not to dwell on it.

I began to think about Damon and how, honestly, he scared me more than anyone else ever had. I knew that I couldn't trust him and in the back of my mind, I knew something bad was going to happen with me being here. But also when I thought about Damon, I couldn't help but feel sensations nearly like butterflies in my stomach. His stare made me uncomfortable, yet it made me feel alive. Physically, Damon was incredible. Whereas Stefan was handsome, Damon was…_sexy_. Previous psychology classes had taught me, however, that the only reason I felt that way was because many women found dangerous equal to sexy. That's why so many women found themselves in unfortunate situations – parts of us were _drawn_ to men like that despite our better judgment.

But his _eyes…_

Just as my train of thought led to that, the door slid open and Damon stepped in. He shut the door back and turned to me. "Sorry, that took so long. There were some…problems," he told me.

I shrunk back into the couch and hugged my purse a little tighter to my chest. "That's okay," I nodded, only answering to be polite.

Damon crossed his arms and took a few steps toward me. "So, Elena, I figured we could get to know each other here much more comfortably than by your car."

My eyes fell to the ground. "Well, that's nice of you to offer, Damon, but as I'm sure I've already told you, I really need to get going. I have work tomorrow." It wasn't a lie.

He chuckled. "I promise not to get you home too late, Elena. Here, let me take your coat and purse and hang them up so you can get a bit more comfortable." I eyed him suspiciously and didn't move. His grin grew. "Elena, relax. I just want to get to know the girl who's dating my brother. And who knows, maybe you'll learn that I'm not really _that_ bad of a guy."

My eyes returned to the floor. Maybe he was right. It was unfair of me to not give the guy a chance. And Stefan hadn't told me that Damon had really done anything dangerously wrong. From what he had told me, I assumed their bad blood came from simply wanting to be with the same girl. I sighed and handed him my purse, then shrugged out of my black pea coat. He took it and walked over to several hooks hanging by the door. When I looked down at my clothes, I felt myself blush. I was still wearing my work clothes – black dress pants and a button down 3/4-sleeve shirt. My gold nametag was still attached. None of this was appropriate club wear. I could only imagine how awful my hair looked after a hectic shift as it hung in a lose bun.

Damon walked back across the room and sat on the couch sideways so that one leg was bent under him as he faced me. He propped his elbow on the back of the couch. I couldn't help but notice the way his eyes glistened under the low light of the room.

"So, tell me about yourself."

My brow furrowed. "What do you want to know?"

"Let's start with the basics. Who are you?"

I looked over at him. "You know who I am."

He sighed. "I know you're a girl named Elena. So tell me who Elena is."

I looked back down. "Um…I'm a 21 year old college student originally from Mystic Falls, Virginia. I…"

"Really?" he suddenly interrupted.

I looked up at him. "Really what?"

"You're from Mystic Falls?" I nodded. "That's where Stefan and I are from."

Like when he had informed he was Stefan's brother, my face fell in confusion. This was, again, another thing Stefan had never mentioned to me. "Stefan didn't tell me that," I admitted. I looked up at him. "It seems like Mystic Falls is a pretty small town. My family knew nearly everyone, but I had never heard of the Salvatore's before meeting Stefan."

"Ah, well, it was before your time and we were always a private family."

Before my time? My brow furrowed deeper. "So, you mean you left at an early age?" That was the only assumption I could come up with.

He looked like he was about to say something when suddenly his grin appeared and he just nodded. "Yes. At an early age."

Something about our conversation was very off putting and left me feeling suspicious.

"So, you said your family is well known in Mystic Falls. What's your last name?" There was an anticipating gleam in his eyes as if he was expecting a certain answer.

"Gilbert," I responded slowly.

His eyes grew a bit more. "_Really?_" he said with a small laugh. He shook his head and leaned back a bit. "This really is a small world," he muttered to himself.

I suddenly felt very uncomfortable with talking about myself and decided to take the focus off of me. "And tell me about yourself, Damon."

His mind seemed to be elsewhere as he spoke. "Well, I'm 25 and, as you know, Stefan's long lost brother. I travel a lot and own several businesses, one of which being this night club." He turned his eyes to me. "I'm really very a simple man," he smirked and I had a feeling that statement was not true. He turned away and it was obvious he was returning to whatever thoughts he had before.

I worried my lower lip with my teeth for a moment as I watched him and worked on finding the courage to ask him what I had wanted to know since the previous night. Finally, I took one deep inhale and went for it. "What happened between you and Stefan?"

I watched as his jaw stiffened for a moment, then relaxed and he turned to me. "It's quite a long story, Elena."

I shrugged. "It's apparent you have no plans of letting me leave anytime soon anyway." I was shocked with how certain I was about that sudden realization but I didn't let it show on my face.

He smiled softly and laid his head in the palm of his hand, still propped up by his elbow on the couch. He lowered his eyes as he thought for a moment and when he looked back up, my breath caught in my chest. His blue eyes were suddenly deep with a new passion burning behind them. "What happened between me and Stefan was a girl named Katherine."

I was relieved that he was at least confirming what Stefan had told me.

I tilted my head slightly as I studied his face. "You both loved her." It wasn't a question.

He sighed and nodded. "Yes." It was then that I saw sorrow flash in his eyes briefly.

"So…she didn't choose one of you?" I asked softly.

"No," he answered, shaking his head. "She died."

My heart paused for a moment at his words. I suddenly understood why this was not a topic Stefan was comfortable speaking about. Like I had told him, we had only known one another for two months. Discussing something this deep now would have surely been too soon. "I'm sorry for you loss," I whispered.

He only nodded and leaned toward the table, grabbing a random drink from the bunch. In one quick motion, he downed the glass and sat it back on the table. "You never answered my earlier question," he said as he moved his elbow back to the top of the couch.

"What question was that?"

"Are you happy with Stefan?"

I stared at him as the random question brought me up short. "I am."

"And he's happy with you?"

I shrugged. "As far as I know."

Abruptly, a plotting glint entered his eyes and he said, "He definitely deserves this then," before leaning forward and pressing his lips against mine.

My eyes grew wide and my mind went blank as he kissed me. I was frozen in my seat for several seconds before I finally tried to push him away. Damon's hands went up to hold the sides of my face and he pulled away slightly.

"What are you d-?" I started, but his lust-filled eyes pulled me in and he interrupted me.

"Elena, kiss me," he commanded in a velvety tone. Just as before, the words echoed in my mind and I felt the urge to kiss Damon.

I didn't know what made me decide this course of action, but it felt like the right thing to do. I closed the gap between our lips and was surprised to find how soft his lips were despite the hardness that appeared in his face. Whenever I tried to question why I was doing this, my thoughts washed away and once again I was marveling at how amazing his lips were.

His hands tightened slightly against my jaw and his lips parted. Mine did the same and I sighed softly as his tongue found mine.

It took only a minute or so before I was completely lost in his kiss, my hands roaming over his back and through his hair. When I finally needed to pull away for air, his lips continued kissing down my throat and up again. The nerves in my body were becoming ultra sensitive and I could feel his fingertips lightly graze down my arms and to my hips. I closed my eyes and basked in the feeling of electricity coursing through me.

In a far away portion of my mind, I was comparing Stefan's sensual kisses to those rough ones of Damon's. I couldn't decide which I preferred.

Damon's mouth moved back up to find mine and I quickly accepted his tongue again. His hands on my hips slowly slid up my sides and I felt him brush the outside of breasts with his thumbs. My center began to grow wet and a moan threatened to escape me. My heartbeat began to race.

All I once, I realized what I was doing and pulled away. "Damon, I can't," I panted.

He opened his eyes, his breathing rough as well, and shook his head slightly. "Why not?"

"I'm with Stefan, Damon." The reality of the situation crashed down on me. I had only met Damon the previous night. I didn't know him. I shouldn't be feeling…anything for him. Why was I even here? It frustrated me that I couldn't recall. And why was I actually kissing him? I didn't have that answer either. I frowned as I realized something must be wrong with _me_. If I was willing to do those things, was I really as in love as I thought I was?

Then his words from before entered my mind: _He definitely deserves this then._ Before I thought Damon meant Stefan deserves being happy with me, but now I suddenly understood that he meant deserves to have his heart broken by me being with Damon. He was using me to get at Stefan. Another piece of their puzzle fell together – Damon must have been with Katherine first. He had his heart broken first. The anger growing inside of me about the current situation didn't allow for much sympathy to shine through. My eyes snapped to his. "I'm not Katherine, Damon" I spat. "When I'm with someone, I don't do…_this," _I finished, motioning with my hands between the two of us.

His sly crooked smile returned and it only made me angrier. This was not the time for him to smirk! "You're an intuitive one, aren't you?" he teased.

I clenched my teeth together and pushed off the couch, heading for my coat and purse. Before I knew it, Damon had stood and grabbed my arms. He spun me around and gently lifted me. I was sitting on the back of the couch against the wall, my shoes getting dirt on the cushions. Damon was knelt with his knees on the same cushions between my legs, his face level with mine. He eased up the grasp he had on my arms and stared at me. My mind was whirling. All of that movement had happened in less than 3 seconds. Apparently that stealth ran in the Salvatore family.

His gaze was powerful and it made me feel like I was melting. "What are you doing?" I whispered timidly.

He tilted his head slightly. "Elena, there's nothing wrong with _this,"_ he said slowly, mimicking my earlier motion with my hands. "And normally, I wouldn't put this much effort into it…but I like you." He lifted an eyebrow slightly and his eyes roamed over my face. "There's…_something_ about you." His eyes found mine again. "I understand why Stefan is so _smitten_ over you."

I felt my body start to quake slightly as adrenaline pumped through me.

He leaned forward and allowed his breath to wash over my face. "Elena," he started, and although he was speaking softly, the voice was there in my mind again. "You will allow your body to do what feels right. Do you understand?" I nodded.

Just as quickly as before, Damon's lips were pressed against mine and the fire from earlier sparked along my skin. I had the urge to wrap my fingers into his hair, and I did so without thought. I suddenly needed his tongue in my mouth and my lips instinctively parted. I felt him grin against my mouth before deepening our kiss.

His hands moved from my arms up to my jaws, then down the sides of my neck. He leaned forward and pushed his body against mine causing me to become aware of the arousal I felt between my thighs. I moaned from the contact. His hands continued down until I felt them cup my breasts and massage on the outside of my shirt. Instantly, my nipples hardened and I moaned again.

Damon leaned away from our kiss, his breathing heavy, and pulled his shirt over his head.

The sight of his chiseled chest made me blush and I wanted so badly to touch it. Right away, my hands followed my mind and my fingertips brushed over his hardened abs. Damon smiled then his hands went to work at the buttons on my shirt. Once they were all undone, he pushed the white fabric off of my shoulders and kissed over my chest. His hands then slid around to my back and he unhooked the clasps of my bra. He leaned away and allowed it to fall from my arms.

I heard his breath hitch and I looked down at him fearing something was wrong. "You're so beautiful," he whispered, looking up at me from under his long eyelashes. I bit down on my lower lip and watched as he slowly leaned forward and pulled one of my nipples into his mouth.

Instantly, my hips bucked slightly and I groaned. His other hand came up to rub at my other nipple, gently rolling it between his thumb and index finger. He sucked a little harder and my hands flew up into his hair, holding him against my chest. "Damon," I moaned, my head falling back against the wall.

Quickly, Damon pulled back, grabbed my hips, and turned us around. He sat on the seat of the couch and my knees straddled his waist. The swift movement caused me to lose my breath and I inhaled sharply as his mouth found my breast again.

I felt his tongue roll over the peak and instinctively I pushed my hips down, grinding myself against his obvious erection. This elicited a moan from him and I smiled slightly.

I leaned away from his mouth and sat down on his lap. He looked at me questioningly and I moved my hands down his chest. My slender fingers found the button of his jeans and I undid them. Slowly, I unzipped the zipper and he lifted under me so that I could pull down his pants and boxers. His member slipped out and I let go of his pants. He watched as my hand wrapped around the tip of it then slid down and a throaty groan bubbled out of him.

He wrapped his hands around my waist and pulled me to him again, trapping my hand between our bodies. He kissed my chest once more and then I felt his hands move to my stomach.

I leaned away to give him better room to work and he did as I had earlier: unbuttoning my pants, unzipping them, then sliding them down my legs. I stood for just a moment so they and my panties could fall to the floor, then he pulled me back on top of him.

As I positioned myself above him, his erection grazed my center and I sucked in air. I wanted him so badly and my body moved in correlation to that.

I looked down my nose at him and waited for him to make eye contact with me. When he did, he smirked and it sent chills through me. I sucked in my lower lip and in one quick movement, impaled myself on his hardened member.

Both he and I moaned simultaneously.

His hands moved up my chest to knead my breasts as I slowly used the strength of my legs to lift back up his erection. Again, I let myself drop on him and felt my body tremble with arousal.

I began to repeat the action and in just a few moments I found my pace. I angled my body so that my clitoris found friction with his pelvic bone during each motion. Beads of sweat popped up along my hairline as moved and I lifted my hands to undo my bun and allow my hair to cascade down my back.

Damon moaned my name below me and it sent me into a frenzy, causing me to increase my pace on top of him. A small moan and gasp escaped me with each downward thrust. I felt my lower abdomen tighten as I went faster and I knew I was close to my climax.

Damon's hands dropped from my breasts to my hips and he gripped tightly. He groaned and his head fell back, indicating to me that he was close as well. "Fuck, Elena," he moaned.

My hands found the back of the couch and I dug my nails into the fabric. It took two more lifts before the sensitivity I felt throughout my body concentrated at my clitoris, it grew hot, and then a burst of waves pulsated through my body. "Unghhh!" I cried out, my head falling back.

As my muscles tightened and contracted, I felt Damon reach his own breaking point and he lifted his hips as he began to pump under my skin.

Once my orgasm subsided, I collapsed against Damon's chest, breathing hard. His hands wrapped around to my back and he held me against him.

We sat like that for several minutes before I sighed and climbed off of him. He groaned as his penis slipped out of me.

I stood in front of him and tried to gather my thoughts. Why had I just done that? Yes, it felt…unbelievable, but had I not just told him that I didn't do _this_? That I was with Stefan? I was positive I had told him this so why had I just had sex with him? My head began to ache and I ran my fingers through my hair. Really, it didn't matter why I had done it. The fact that I had was bad enough.

Tears prickled at my eyelashes and my face grew very warm. Stefan was going to hate me.

Suddenly, a cell phone began to ring at my feet and I jumped a little. Damon bent down to grab his jeans and he pulled out the phone. Flipping it open he greeted the caller. "Well, hello, Stefan."

My heart stopped as I heard Stefan's voice call loudly through the phone. "Where is Elena, Damon?"

Damon smirked and looked up at me. "Standing right here," he answered.

"Give her the phone," Stefan commanded.

Damon chuckled. "Well, you may want to let her get some clothes on first."

* * *

**Authors Note:** Does anyone else think it's, like, really hot in here? ;P

Review, people! Let me know what you think!

Follow me on twitter if you'd like updates on the story: APhobiac.

See you next chapter!

Also, I hope some stuff in this chapter wasn't too hard to follow. Yes, he was compelling her. That's why she wasn't able to think about what brought on some of her actions. She doesn't remember him telling her to do it.


	4. Chapter 4

**SPOV**

If my heart beat, it would have stopped at Damon's words. Elena was with Damon. And she was…naked? Had they been together?

My brow furrowed in disgust as I realized his tone told me they had.

Had she chosen this? Did she not want to be with me?...Did she want to be with both of us?

No. Elena was not Katherine. Whatever happened had to have been caused by Damon.

Compulsion.

I groaned. I had not even considered the thought that Damon might compel her to do things. I don't know why I thought better of him.

Part of me was not shocked that this situation was happening, however. I saw the way Damon looked at Elena this past morning. He began plotting the second they met. I knew he would go to her. I had even partially expressed my fears to Elena.

I had mentally promised myself to protect her.

I had failed.

Her timid voice came through the receiver. "Stefan?"

Instantly, relief filled me as I realized that she was not physically hurt. "Where are you, Elena? I'll come get you." It no longer mattered to me what happened between them. I just wanted to have her in my arms, have her away from Damon.

I heard a few sniffles and understood she was crying. Something bad had definitely happened.

I was going to kill Damon.

"Elena, shhh," I cooed softly. "Don't cry. Just come and let me get you. Where are you?"

"Stefan, I'm so sorry," she cried in broken sobs. "I don't know what happened. I mean, I don't know _how_ it happened." She began to cry harder.

My earlier assumption had just been proven correct – Damon had compelled her.

"It's not your fault, love." As I tried to comfort her, it began to dawn on me that I would soon have to tell her my secret.

* * *

**DPOV**

I handed Elena the phone, gathered my clothes, and began to get dressed. I watched her out of the corner of my eye.

I was not a religious man – given my current circumstances I didn't believe I could afford to seek religion – but I prayed that Stefan was about to have his heart broken by this human girl. He deserved it. He honestly deserved worse, but for now, this would do.

I could see the muscles tense in Elena's naked body as she brought the phone to her ear. "Stefan?"

I buttoned my jeans and began to pull my shirt over my head.

"Where are you, Elena? I'll come get you," Stefan told her softly. I let out a short, humorless chuckle. Stefan had always been the type to try and be a woman's knight and shining armor – save her from the evils of the world…i.e. me.

I let the shirt fall around my torso and as I turned back toward her, I froze.

She was…crying? My brow pulled together in confusion. I hadn't hurt her. Actually, I had done quite the opposite. So why was she crying? Should I go and comfort her?

Shit. I shook my head and turned away. Who was I to give a fuck about this human? I didn't.

Stefan tried consoling her over the phone. "Stefan, I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened. I mean, I don't know _how_ it happened," she answered him, then folded herself onto the ground, her torso bent forward with her head hidden in the crook of her crossed legs. Her back lifted and fell with her heaving sobs.

I watched her and felt like a fucking machine – the whole "That emotion does not compute" shit. That was one of the good things about being a vampire. I didn't have to feel what she felt. I didn't have to feel anything at all. It just took the flipping of a switch and it all would go away. That's how I learned to cope with the loss of Katherine.

But something about the small girl curled in on herself tugged at my dead heart. Maybe because she looked so damn much like Katherine.

When I first ran into Elena at Stefan's house, I thought it was Katherine and my mind went blank. I didn't know how to respond. Then her increasing pulse met my ears and I realized she was human. Had she been some other human girl that was sleeping with my brother, I probably would have killed her to get even with Stefan. But her big brown eyes surprised me and I couldn't bring myself to physically harm her. Instead I introduced myself.

When Stefan came out of his room after, his first words to me were, "Leave her alone." I honestly hadn't been planning to do anything to her…_with_ her at the time, but I always love to defy the commands given to me. Always the rebel.

It hadn't been difficult to find Elena's workplace and follow her after she had gotten off. What had been difficult, however, was convincing her to come to my nightclub. It surprised me. Most girls, vampire and human alike, found me erotic and jumped at the chance to…well, jump me. I was quickly learning that Elena wasn't like Katherine. She apparently had morals and wanted to stick to those. Too bad for her I was a vampire with no morals and the ability to compel people. Eh, life sucks sometimes.

So, I compelled her to leave with me.

When we arrived at the nightclub, I had wanted to go ahead and be alone with her, but my assistant informed me that a vampire had arrived earlier looking for me. The lackluster description he gave me reminded me a lot of Katherine, but I could've gone to that image simply because Elena was sitting just beyond the wall. We went and watched the surveillance footage and I was annoyed to find that the mystery vampire avoided each and every camera. Clever. I told him to keep an eye out and if she came back to call my cell phone.

Thinking of Katherine had brought on a few uncomfortable emotions so when I went back to Elena, the mere sight of her evoked feelings I had lost long ago. I told myself it was simply because she resembled her and I flipped the switch.

When I was finally able to kiss Elena, however, the switch faltered and I felt it all again. It confused me because Elena was just some human girl. She meant nothing to me…yet I wanted…_something_ to happen between us and I could sense that she did, too. The only things holding her back were those damned morals.

Again, with my lack of morals, I compelled her to just go with what her body wanted. It then didn't take long for us to end up on the couch, her soft, petite body straddling my lap.

I had enjoyed the whole thing much more than I probably should have. I chalked it up to just a really good fuck. Looking at her now, however, I was starting to think maybe I had enjoyed it because of who it was with.

I groaned. What was fucking wrong with me?

Slowly, I walked over to her huddled form and knelt by her side. Stefan's voice was still pouring from the receiver end of the phone that way lying in her lap.

"Elena," I started softly. Stefan went silent as I spoke to her.

Her head jerked up and the sight of her red, tear-stained eyes saddened me.

"Come on," I leaned over and grabbed her shirt. "I'll take you home."

She picked up the phone and told Stefan she'd be there shortly, then stood and dressed. I turned away to give her privacy although we were far past that at this point.

As I was about to open the door and leave, she looked up at me with a frown. "What?" I asked her, not sure I really wanted to know.

"I'm not this type of girl," she said softly and I could see the glistening of tears that were starting to form.

She was going to cry again. I sighed and wrapped my arms around her. "It's okay. I know you're not," I assured her, then kissed the top of her hair. I froze as I suddenly realized what I was doing. I was showing her sympathy. I was…comforting her. What was fucking happening to me?

I moved away from her and opened the door. I stepped out and Tyler, my assistant, ran up to me. "Leaving, Mr. Salvatore?"

"Yes. Any signs of…" I glanced back at Elena and trailed off. "…the intruder?"

"No, sir. But I'll keep an eye out," he responded. Just then Elena stepped out of the room and I saw shock appear on Tyler's face.

"What?" I asked him, looking between him and Elena.

Tyler took a small step forward and tried whispering, his eyes still large and fixated on Elena. "That's…That's her, Mr. Salvatore."

* * *

**Authors Note: **This was a short chapter, but I tried something new with the POV's. I've never done that before. I like how it turned out.

So, tell me what you guys think! I'm pretty anxious to know!

If you'd like updates on this story, follow me on Twitter: APhobiac.

A special thanks to my awesome and lovely beta, tsukikomew. :)

See you guys next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

I walked behind Damon, my mind whirling with his sudden compassion. Had I just imagined that he kissed the top of my head? Suddenly, he was speaking to someone else and I lifted my head as I came through the door.

The stunned expression of the other boy brought me up short. He was staring at me like he was…terrified? He stepped toward Damon and I heard him say, "That's…That's her, Mr. Salvatore." His eyes never left me.

My brow furrowed. I didn't know this boy yet he was acting like he knew me. Damon's eyes snapped to me and I saw the same confusion on his face.

"What?" Damon asked, looking back at him.

The boy nodded his head in my direction, his voice straining as he tried to whisper. "That's the girl who was looking for you."

"She's been in this room since we arrived, Tyler. You said the girl looking for me was here before I even arrived, correct?" Tyler nodded. "_This _girl," Damon went on with a motion of his hand, "has been at work across town the entire night."

Tyler's eyes fell to the floor, his forehead wrinkling in confusion. "But…I swear, Mr. Salvatore. It was this girl." Tyler looked back at me and I could see the war happening in his mind. "She looked exactly the same, sir." His eyes roamed over me as he spoke, not even trying to whisper anymore. "I mean, she was wearing different clothes. Jeans, not these black pants, and a red tank top, but her hair was the exact same color and length." His eyes locked with mine. "And, not to be forward, Mr. Salvatore, but I wouldn't forget eyes like those." I felt myself blush and looked away.

It was silent for several moments before I saw the muscles in Damon's lower arms tense then relax. He reached his hand around me and placed it on the small of my back. "Elena, we need to go," he said quietly as he led me past Tyler.

Tyler's jaw fell slack and he just stared at us as we left. The confusion was still obvious on his face.

I looked up at Damon. "What's going on?"

He only glanced at me as he pushed over the door leading outside. "I don't know," he responded honestly.

"Why did that boy think I was looking for you?"

"I don't know, Elena," he repeated a bit more harshly.

I looked to the ground as I realized this was not an appropriate time to be asking questions. Something was obviously bothering Damon.

He opened the door for me as I climbed into his car, then quickly – almost too quickly – he was getting into the seat beside me. After I few minutes of driving, I realized he was not headed back to my work where my car was. I brought this up to him.

"I'm taking you directly to Stefan's," he said flatly.

"What about my car, though?"

"Well, if that piece of junk is what you mean by your car, I'm sure it'll be fine."

His snide remark angered me as well as slightly embarrassed me. No, my car was not something to be super proud of, but it was all I could afford. I folded my arms and turned away from him to look out the window. My jaw tightened and he chuckled. I didn't look over at him.

"Did I upset you?" he asked in a teasing tone. I didn't answer and he laughed again. "I sure do seem to have a talent for that, wouldn't you agree?"

The remainder of the ride to Stefan's was silent. As soon as we were parked outside of his house, Stefan came running outside. He had my door opened before I could even take my seatbelt off.

He pulled me out of the car and wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight against his chest. My heart ached. I didn't deserve this display of love from him. I had cheated on him. I had been with his brother. Tears burned my eyes. "I'm sorry," I whispered into his shirt. He tightened his grip around me.

"No, Elena, you have nothing to be sorry for."

I heard the gravel crunch beneath Damon's feet as he walked around the car. Stefan's head lifted from my hair. "Go," he said sternly.

Damon kept walking. "We have more pressing matters at hand. I believe me sleeping with your girlfriend now pales in comparison."

Stefan's muscles stiffened at Damon's words and I could tell he was trying his best to keep calm. "Whatever it is can wait, Damon. You need to leave. Now." His words were seeping out in near snarls and I suddenly found myself worried about Damon's wellbeing. I glanced up from Stefan's chest to see Damon continue past us and head toward the front door.

"Aren't you the least bit curious as to this new problem?" he smirked over his shoulder.

"No," Stefan replied flatly.

Damon started up the front steps. "Well, I'm going to inform you anyway..." He reached the porch and turned to face us. "Katherine's back."

Stefan released me and spun around. "What?" both he and I questioned simultaneously.

Hadn't Damon told me Katherine was deceased? Had I just gotten names and people mixed up? Surely that was the case. But, then, if Katherine was at least their ex-girlfriend, should that worry me? I didn't want to lose Stefan to some girl who had broken his heart. But I was positive Damon said she was dead! My brow furrowed as my mind swirled with the conflicting thoughts.

Stefan handed me a hot cup of tea and sat beside me on the couch. He leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees. Damon paced back and forth across from us. His shoulders were tense with his arms crossed and his eyes stared at the ceiling as he moved. After Damon had made his odd declaration on the steps earlier, we had entered the house in silence.

After watching both of them for several moments, I found the nerve to break the uncomfortable silence. "What's going on, Stefan?"

He turned his head to look at me and I couldn't help but notice the sadness in his eyes. My gut knotted and I suddenly realized if Katherine were back, he would leave me for her. Was he sad about that? He looked at Damon. "Start from the beginning, Damon."

Damon continued to walk without glancing over at us. "Elena and I went to Le Feu de Nuit, a night club I purchased a few months back, and when we arrived, my assistant informed me that a girl…" he paused and looked at Stefan, "…like _us_…" he continued pacing, "…was looking for me. He described her as a girl with brown hair, brown eyes, jeans, and a red tank top. Well, that could be any number of girls. I mean, really, if I had a dollar for every brown-haired, brown-eyed beauty that I'd – "

"Damon," Stefan snapped, interrupting him.

My stomach twisted slightly at his words. No, I did not think that what Damon and I had done had been anything with any real connection, but I didn't like the thought of being on his "girls with brown hair and brown eyes" list…or other girls with brown hair and brown eyes being on that list.

Damon smirked slightly. "Sorry," he said, but I could tell he was not. "Anyway, we checked the camera footage and it seemed the sneaky girl had avoided each and every camera. I told Tyler to keep an eye out for her and went back to Elena." I saw Stefan tense in my peripheral vision. "When we were leaving, Tyler found us and when he saw Elena, he nearly had a heart attack. He told me that she was the girl looking for me. Well, considering I knew where Elena was for the past 6 hours, I knew that wasn't true and doubted his competence. However, after examining his behavior, I knew he was sure of it and started putting two and two together."

I still did not understand how I fell into any of this. I didn't understand how Tyler's confusion of me led Damon to Katherine.

Stefan exhaled loudly and shook his head slightly. "But Katherine's…"

"Dead?" Damon finished for him. "Yeah, I know. Makes this whole thing a bit more odd, don't ya' think?" he asked before plopping down in a recliner.

My mouth fell slack and I stared wide-eyed at the two men. Apparently they were on the same track when it came to their thoughts and I hadn't gotten people and names mixed up earlier, but neither of them seemed super surprised. They both turned to look at me when the teacup started rattling against the small plate holding it in my hands. Stefan took the dishes from me and sat them on the coffee table in front of us.

"Elena, are you okay?" he asked.

I just gaped at him, unable to answer. I felt the blood drain from my face.

"Elena?" he asked again, leaning forward to place a hand on my cheek.

I cleared my throat and took a deep breath. I repeated my question from earlier: "What's going on, Stefan?"

The sadness returned in his eyes and I realized that my assumption earlier had been incorrect – he was sad about having to tell me something.

He dropped his hand and looked at Damon. "I don't want to do this, Damon," he said solemnly.

Damon shrugged. "Then don't."

"But she has to know at this point."

"Then tell her."

Stefan groaned and leaned back.

"Want me to tell her?" Damon asked.

"No!" Stefan responded quickly.

Their back and forth was starting to really bother me and I felt aggravation bubble inside of me. I stood up. "Someone tell me what the fuck is going on!" I shouted. I knew it was childish for me to explode like that, but their conversation was getting nowhere.

They both stared at me for a moment before Stefan stood to face me. "Elena," he started slowly, his face angled low so I could see clearly into his soft green eyes. "Let me start by telling you that I love you. Nothing is going to change that." Damon sniggered in the background. We both ignored him.

I tilted my head slightly, my brow furrowing, and could feel my heart beat picking up. I didn't like conversations that started that way. They never led anywhere good. "I love you, too, Stefan," I responded just as slowly, not sure how else I should answer,

He nodded. "Well, I…and Damon for that matter…are not…" he hesitated as he searched for his words. "…like you."

My mind was blank as I listened to him. Nothing he said made sense and none of it gave me enough information to start drawing conclusions. "What?" I asked softly, expressing my confusion.

He closed his eyes and ran a hand over his face. With a deep inhale, he finally blurted out what his tongue was holding: "We're vampires, Elena."

My body didn't move an inch. My expression didn't falter. I was completely frozen in place.

What the fuck was he talking about? What had he said? Vampires? They were vampires?

My mind didn't know how to comprehend his bizaare sentence.

After standing still for several minutes, I realized that this must all be a joke. They were trying to scare me? I frowned. Their attempt at humor perturbed me greatly.

"Ha ha." I said, my eyes narrowing. "Very funny, Stefan. How long did it take for you and your brother to come up with this scheme?" I turned around and headed for my purse sitting by the door. "For the record," I called over my shoulder, "this was not a funny joke and I don't appreciate any of it." I picked up the bag. "Don't bother calling me."

As my fingers slid around the cool metal doorknob, two hands suddenly spun me around and pinned me against the door.

I stared up into Damon's face, my eyes wide and my breathing heavy. I watched as his ice blue eyes disappeared behind black pupils and a dull red tinge puckered on his skin around his eyes. Veins pushed their way to the surface in his face and when he opened his mouth, I distinctly saw two sharp fangs glinting in the soft lights of the room. "This is not a joke," he breathed, his eyes narrowing.

Again, I was frozen in place as my mind tried to understand it all.

Vampires.

They were _vampires_!

And according to everything I knew about vampires, that meant they drank…

I gasped and flinched away from him, the back of my head hitting the door. "Get away from me!" I shrieked, dropping my purse and hitting at his chest.

In the blink of an eye, Damon was standing beside Stefan, his face returned to normal. I suddenly understood where their stealth came from.

I could hear my heartbeat in my ears and felt my body trembling as I stared at them.

Stefan's brow was pulled together, his eyes portraying intense pent-up pain. He stepped forward, his hand held up to me. "Elena, I'm sorry," he told me softly. "I don't want you to be afraid."

I held my hand up, halting him. "Stop there, Stefan," I breathed. He did as I asked. Slowly, my eyes still on them, I bent down to lift my purse. Once it was gripped tightly in my sweaty palms, I pulled open the front door.

"Where are you going?" Damon asked from his place across the room.

I looked back at them and shook my head slowly. "I don't want…anything to do with this," I answered, my voice mechanical from the shock.

Stefan started to move forward and I put a hand up again, indicating that he shouldn't. "Don't, Elena," he pleaded with me, but my emotionless body couldn't find sympathy for him.

"Good bye," I whispered, casting my eyes to the floor. Moving cautiously, I stepped out and pulled the door close. Once the wood was separating us all, my adrenaline rushed in and I flew down the steps, running across the yard as fast as my feet would carry me.

It was still dark out, probably only just getting to 4 AM. My car was still at the restaurant and the only option I had to get away was to run.

So I did.

* * *

**Authors Note:** It usually kills me every time girls find out their "soul-mate" is a vampire and they act like everything is still sunshine and rainbows. :/

Please review and let me know what you're thinking!

As always, thanks to my beta - tsukikomew! Her help REALLLLY came in handy during this chapter. Seriously. Lol.

Follow me on twitter for updates about this story and other random ramblings: APhobiac.

See you next chapter!

Oh...BTW, did anyone else pretty much die after the TVD season premiere last night? I don't want to give any spoilers so I'll just say - The one who got rejected can just come on over to my house. I'm sure we'll get along juuuust fine. ;P


	6. Chapter 6

It didn't take long for the lactic acid to start building up in my calves, causing me to ache all over. My purse swayed back and forth, roughly hitting my hip with each long stride I took. My hair flew out behind me as the wind lifted it and my lungs burned as my over heated body sucked in the contrasting, freezing, winter air.

I don't know how long it took for me to finally reach my apartment – an hour? Maybe two? I didn't stop to check the time, but when I opened my front door, the sun was beginning to rise behind me.

My mind had stayed fairly blank the entire run, but as I shut the door behind me, everything flooded back and I collapsed to the floor. I pressed my back against the door, pulled my knees to my chest, and hung my head as heavy tears pressed against my eyelashes and began to pour over. Every muscle in my body throbbed with a steady burning pace and I hunched down lower. My quivering fingers wrapped around the back of my head.

What was going on? The night had gone by so quickly yet so slowly and it seemed like suddenly my world was being tipped over and shaken. Everything I knew…_thought_ I knew…was being proven incorrect and I was finding it difficult to wrap my mind around the new ideas.

Vampires existed.

And not only did they exist, they lived right next to you without you even knowing.

A shuddering sob escaped me. Stefan. The man of…not to be cliché, but of _my dreams_ had lied to me. I had given him my trust and love and, turns out, he isn't even _alive_. I had put down walls that took me forever to build to get close to him and now it was all being thrown back in my face.

Had he even loved me? Of course he told me he did before he let me in on his extraordinarily huge secret, but was he just trying to keep me calm?

Did he really think I would be okay with him being a vampire?

A short humorless chuckle escaped me as I thought the word. _Vampire. _It was so odd to be using that word and it not being Halloween. The word seemed so harmless because vampires were mythical.

Were _supposed_ to be mythical.

They were _supposed_ to be the creatures little kids dressed up as for the holidays. They were _supposed_ to be limited to creations of film and literature, like in the classics of _Dracula_ or the modern-day _Twilight. _

Not only were they _not supposed_ to even be real, they were _not supposed_ to do the things that Stefan and Damon could obviously do. They were not supposed to be able to go outside during the day and I had been out with Stefan on numerous occasions. They were supposed to sleep in coffins, have spooky houses, and wear capes. They were supposed to only drink blood and I've not only seen Stefan eat actual food, but Damon drink alcohol. They were supposed to be scary…Well, now that I knew the truth, I suppose I was scared a bit.

I groaned as a few more tears slid down my cheeks. Nothing was right anymore and I didn't know how to fix it. I couldn't just forget everything I had seen and heard.

…Or could I?

I lifted my head and took a deep inhale, steadying myself before trying to stand up.

That's exactly what I was going to do. Forget it all. Forget the past few months with Stefan. Forget my little encounter with Damon. Forget they had revealed their secret to me. Forget everything. I would go on with my days like nothing happened. I would distance myself from the memories of the Salvatore brothers and convince myself they didn't exist.

I used the back of my hand to wipe away the tears still lingering on my eyelashes as I stood and picked up my purse. I hung it on the hook by the door, looked down and dusted the dirt from my clothes, then slipped off my tennis shoes.

Once in my bedroom, I changed into a pair of old pajamas, ran a brush through my hair, and climbed into my uncomfortable bed. I couldn't help but notice how peculiarly calm my nerves suddenly seemed to be.

I sighed heavily and closed my eyes. Tomorrow would be a new day, a better day.

I was sure of it.

* * *

I reached up and wiped away my hair, which was matted with sweat, from my forehead. Sleep had been uncomfortable and I was never able to reach full unconsciousness. Every time I would get close, I would have nightmares and wake back up with a pounding heart. I rolled my head over to the side to look at the alarm clock; it read 5 PM. I sighed and closed my eyes again. I had three hours before I needed to be at the restaurant for another shift.

"Shiiit," I groaned. I would have to leave an hour early to make it on time – my car was still sitting at the restaurant. That meant I would either need to call a cab or take the bus.

I pushed myself off the mattress and walked into my dreary living room to find my purse on the wall. I dug through it to find my wallet and opened it up – $5. I sighed. It looked like it would be the bus, then.

Slowly, I walked into the bathroom and undressed for a shower. When I climbed under the pounding warm water, I realized how stiff and sore my body really was. I hung my head and let the water flow over my shoulders and down my back, loosening my tight muscles. I was happy to find that the scent of the shampoo being lathered in my hair only brought me back to life a bit more.

I took longer than I normally would have in the shower so when I got out, I was surprised to see it was already 6:25. I quickly squeezed my hair in a towel to pull out the excess water then went to work with a blow dryer and round brush. After my hair hung in a smooth, straight wave down my back, I rushed to my room and got dressed in the appropriate work attire.

My stomach growled as I entered the kitchen but I didn't have time to make a decent meal. I grabbed a granola bar and mentally promised myself that I would eat at the restaurant after my shift.

I unwrapped the granola bar as I walked, stopping briefly to sling my purse over my shoulder, then threw open the front door and made my way down the steps. As my feet hit the concrete and I looked up, I froze with my granola bar half way to my mouth and my eyes wide. There was my car; sitting in front of my apartment like I had parked it there myself.

I furrowed my brow and pulled my purse around to dig through it. Lying at the bottom of the pleather bag was my keys. How did _they_ – I was refusing to speak their names – get my car to my house?

Closing my eyes, I pinched the bridge of my nose with my index finger and thumb and decided it didn't matter. My car was here, not at the restaurant, and that would be the end of it.

With my newfound time, I turned around and went back into the house to eat a proper meal before work.

* * *

At the restaurant, I parked closer to the back door than I normally did, knowing from experience that you never really knew who would be in the parking lot. Even with how close I was, I nearly ran to get inside once I left my car.

I smiled to myself as I put my coat and purse in the back room, the familiar aroma of pasta and sauce coming from the kitchen pulling me into a place of normality. I walked over to the punch card machine to clock in for work and furrowed my brow in confusion when I couldn't find my card. I left the room and headed for the kitchen. I swung open the gray door and peeked inside for the manager. He looked up from where he was teaching a new cook to make pizza and tilted his head slightly as he saw me. "Elena?"

I opened the door the rest of the way and stepped inside. "Hey, Mr. Saltzman. I'm about to start waitressing, but I couldn't find my time card."

He said something to the new cook and demonstrated something with the pizza, patted his back, then headed over to me. "Elena, what happened to you quitting?"

My lips parted as my jaw went slightly slack. "What?"

He held out a hand, motioning for us to go back into the hallway. He stepped out and shut the door behind him then turned back to me. "I took your time card up after you quit."

I shook my head. "I didn't quit. Why would you think that?"

"I spoke to you this morning, Elena," he responded with a look of incredulity.

I looked down at the floor and tried to figure out what he was talking about. I distinctly remembered coming home from Stef – from _his_ house, going to bed, and then getting up this afternoon. And besides all of that, my cell phone was broken and I didn't have a house phone. I looked back up at my boss. "I didn't talk to you today. I don't have a phone right now."

He crossed his arms. "Elena, I really don't know what's going on with you, but I know your voice. It was you this morning."

I closed my eyes and sighed heavily. "It wasn't me so can I just have my time card back?"

Mr. Saltzman's arms fell and he looked at me apologetically, "Elena, we already replaced you. It's difficult for us to lose a waitress, much less without a two weeks notice, so we had to call in some other applicants."

My eyes widened. "I don't have a job here anymore?" I felt my throat getting dry.

"I'm sorry, Elena, but no." He gave me one more remorseful look-over before turning his back and going back into the kitchen.

I stared at the swinging gray door in front of me and felt my chest tightening. I didn't have a job here anymore. But I _needed_ this job. My paying bills depended on having these two jobs. My heart suddenly stopped as I thought about the hotel. Quickly, I sprinted to the back room and picked up the restaurant telephone to dial the hotel's number.

"Good evening. Compass Plaza. This is Caroline, how may I help you?"

I gripped the phone with two hands. "Caroline, this is Elena."

"Hey, Elena," Caroline squealed through the phone. "You're so lucky you got out of here!"

I closed my eyes and realized I was gasping for air. I lowered my head and let it rest on the wall in front of me. "Ms. Pearl said I quit?" I asked softly.

"She told me when I came in to work tonight. She replaced you with her daughter Anna."

My fingers started to shake around the phone so I hung it back up. Slowly, I dropped down to sit in the chair behind me and I stared blankly ahead.

I was now completely jobless and I had no idea why. And not only that, but I couldn't get either job back.

I was positive I hadn't spoken to either of my employers this morning but they both claimed they had spoken to me.

I clenched my teeth together as a thought suddenly came to mind – Katherine. From what D…Dam-… I sighed and forced out the name – Damon had been saying yesterday, Katherine was a lot like me. Could that mean she sounded like me, too? It was a random thing to assume but I suddenly became infuriated at the thought. I didn't know this girl and she didn't know me. Why would she call and quit my jobs, thus ruining my life? Did she think I still wanted Stefan? She could freaking have both of them for all I care.

I knew the thought was irrational and unwarranted but I stood back up and dialed Stefan's number anyway. Something in my gut told me they had something to do with this. "Hello?" he answered after the first ring.

The sound of his voice nearly broke my resolve and made me forget how angry I was with him and everything he had brought into my life. I tightened my jaw and closed my eyes before speaking. "Stefan," I replied coldly.

There was silence on the other end for a brief moment. "Elena?" his voice was full of desperate relief and almost made me feel bad. _Almost._

"Yes, it's me."

He sighed into the phone. "Elena, I'm so glad you called. I thought I'd never hear from you again. I so sorry about everyth– "

"Stefan," I interrupted him. "Does Katherine sound like me?"

He was quiet again for several moments. "What?"

I lifted a hand ran it over my face and into my hair. "Does Katherine sound like me?" I repeated.

"I…I guess so. Maybe a little. Why? What's going on?"

"I don't…" Tears threatened to form as I tried speaking the words aloud. "I don't have a job anymore, Stefan. Either job."

"I don't understand, Elena," he said softly with concern.

I sighed and the motion forced the tears up. "Someone called the restaurant and hotel claiming to be me and quit my jobs."

"Oh, Elena," he sighed. "Let me come and get you."

I opened my eyes and the tears spilled over. "What? No," I responded quickly.

"Let me help you, Elena," he pleaded.

"So was it her?" I asked, realizing he never asked why I brought up Katherine.

I heard him sigh. "It might have been."

The anger from earlier returned and that only brought on more tears. "But why?" I cried, bringing a hand up to wipe at my eyes.

"There's really no telling why, Elena. The things that Katherine does hardly ever make sense."

I slammed my fist against the wall and felt my body shudder. "That's not a good enough answer, Stefan! She has ruined my life! I want to know why!"

"Elena, I—" he started to speak but I slammed down the receiver. I closed my eyes tightly and stifled a scream threatening to erupt from my chest.

"Hey, are you okay?" I heard a voice ask behind me. I spun around to see the new cook standing before me. I wiped at the tears and picked up my coat and purse and hurried past him without saying a word.

* * *

I cried all the way to my apartment, cursing having ever met Stefan and letting him into my life. Everything was falling apart and it was his fault.

I pulled up against the sidewalk and slammed my door shut, not stopping to grab either my coat or purse that were sitting in the passenger seat. I just wanted to get into my apartment and cry myself to sleep. I stomped up the steps as I ran through the keys on my key loop to find the front door key. As I started unlocking the door, his voice came from behind me. "Elena?" I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to calm myself before I caused a scene by trying to kill him in the street.

"What do you want, Damon?" I asked bitterly, not moving to look back at him. My eyes became dry in the winter air.

"Are you okay?"

I huffed and bit down on my lower lip, twisting the key to unlock the door. I turned the knob and started to push open the door when suddenly Damon was standing on the top step with me turned halfway, my body between him and the doorjamb. He looked down his nose at me and I stared down at the ground, avoiding his ice blue gaze. My breathing hitched just slightly.

"I asked you a question," he said softly yet harshly.

"And I was refusing to answer it," I spat.

He lifted a hand and rested it against my cheek. I flinched away, causing his hand to fall. "Why are you crying?"

I then looked up at him, my eyes full of hate and resentment. "Why don't you ask your _girlfriend_," I sneered.

His eyebrows tilted as he pulled his brow together. "What did she do?"

I felt the tears prickle again at my eyes and all the anger rushed back inside of me. "Leave me alone, Damon," I said through clenched teeth, staring up at him with narrowed eyes.

He pressed his lips into a hard line for a moment before answering. "No." The conviction of his decision was apparent in the way his smoldering eyes blazed but his presence was taking me into an emotional state that I had hoped to keep locked away.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as the first tear trickled over and rolled down my face. "Go. Away."

He brought his hands to either side of my face and repeated himself. "No."

My chest had grown tighter throughout our exchange and I felt all of my frustration building. "Damon, get out of here," I nearly begged.

His hold on my face tightened. "Elena, I'm not leaving."

It suddenly felt like fire erupted from my chest and my body shook all over. I could no longer find the nerve to hold back my rage and tears spilled quickly and heavily as I threw my weight into pounding my fists against his chest, an exasperated, throaty screech escaping me with the motion. My words poured out of me like I was a volcano spewing lava. "Damon, I hate you!" I shouted through my sobs. "I hate Stefan and I hate what he's done to me! I hate what you are! You've all ruined my life!" I wailed, no longer caring if my neighbors heard or if I caused a scene. The words were like venom on my tongue and I just needed to get them out. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" I repeated through my tears. Damon made no immediate effort to stop my punching, leaving his hands on my face. I reached up and smacked his hands away from my cheeks before continuing my assault on his chest. My hair whipped around my head and into my face and became matted with the tears as I moved. He let me go on for several more minutes before finally reaching down and catching my wrists in his hands. I struggled briefly as he tried to calm me.

"Elena, it's okay. Shhh, it's okay, Elena." I thrashed back and forth once more to try to release his hold before the energy that was in my outburst suddenly drained out of me and I slumped down. His arms circled around my body and he pulled me tight against his chest, lowering us both until we were sitting on the steps. I buried my head into his shirt and cried unabashedly, letting all of the emotions I had pent up come pouring out in that moment. His hands ran through my hair and over my arms repeatedly, motions I was sure meant to be comforting. He slowly rocked us back and forth.

So much for convincing myself _they_ didn't exist.

* * *

**Authors Note: **Pleaseeeee review, guys, and let me know what you think! I'm really anxious to know how you think the story is playing out.

Thanks to my beta for reviewing the chapter!

See you guys next chapter! (I'm off to watch tonight's TVD. :D )

Also, follow me on twitter for updates about the story and other random ramblings: APhobiac :)


	7. Chapter 7

EPOV

After crying for what seemed like hours, my eyes began to dry and I felt Damon lift me from the steps. "Put me down, Damon," I sniffled, placing my hands on his chest and pushing. His grip around my body only tightened and his arms became like steel as he moved to the front door.

"Invite me in, Elena," he said calmly.

I looked up at him. "What?"

His eyes rolled, but he continued to stare straight ahead. "You have to invite me in for me to enter the house."

My mouth formed a small 'O' as I began to understand. In classic vampires tales, vampires were unable to go into someone's house unless a living person said they could. Apparently that wasn't just the case in classic tales. I narrowed my eyes slightly. Why would I invite Damon into my house? Invite a vampire into my house? "No," I answered dryly, my lips pressing into a hard line.

He looked down at me. "You're not going to invite me in?" he asked in an annoyed tone.

"No," I repeated and pushed against his chest again. "Put me down."

With a heavy sigh, he leaned his head down and his gaze became intense. "Elena, invite me in," he said coolly and I could see his pupils dilate slightly. "Now."

My brow furrowed. Who did he think he was that he could just tell me what to do? "No," I said again with fierce finality. "Put. Me. Down."

He moved his head back a little and his brow pulled together in a look of confusion…or shock, I couldn't really tell. We stared at each other intently for several moments before his brows fell and a look of understand crossed his face. "Shit. The tea," he muttered. "Fucking Stefan."

Now it was my turn to be confused. "What?"

With another sigh, he placed me on my feet. "I suppose you don't_ have to_ invite me in after all," he answered, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning his hip on the frame of the door.

His response did nothing to cure my confusion. "Um…no…I don't have to…" I concurred slowly, not exactly sure what was going on. I turned to the door, which was still slightly open from earlier, and started to walk through. I felt his cool fingers wrap around my upper arm and stop me. I turned to look at him.

"I'll find out what's going on, Elena," he told me, his eyes burning intensely.

I looked down and simply nodded. I shook off his hand, turned and shut the door, all the while avoiding making further eye contact with the man who had held and comforted me for an hour or so.

I turned around to walk into my living room and when I looked up, my heart dropped into my stomach; everything had been turned over, smashed to pieces, ripped apart. My knees shook and I threw out a hand against the wall to keep me upright.

"D-Damon," I tried to stutter, but apparently the air had been taken out of me as well and I barely made a squeak. My eyes burned again, longing for tears to sprout, but I was all cried out and none came. "Damon," I said again a bit more loudly as my breathing hitched and I felt the signs of a panic attack stirring. My eyes were locked on my destroyed living room. After a few quick, sharp inhales, my knees gave out and I fell, clutching the carpet beneath my trembling fingers. I pushed my back roughly against the wall. "Damon!" I shouted, and squeezed my eyes tightly shut as my chest began to burn with the lack of actual breaths. Wheezing sounds escaped my mouth as I searched for the air.

"Elena?" I heard him call out, then the door beside me burst open and a much-needed gust of wind whipped around my face. I gasped for the air desperately. "Elena, let me in," he commanded.

I nodded and brought a hand to my chest, my eyes still closed.

"Elena, you have to say it!"

"Come in," I whispered between inhales. Damon's arms quickly found their way around my torso again and he lifted me against his chest. My body shook with my shuttering exhales.

"It's okay, Elena, breath," he said softly, rubbing up and down my spine with feathery fingers. "Just breath. It's okay."

My jerky breathing began to even out as I stood against his chest and the panic attack began to subside. It took several minutes for me to finally calm down. "Why?" I asked quietly, my mind beginning to go numb.

I felt his head move above me as he looked around. "I don't know," he whispered.

"How did she get in?" I asked, knowing he would know who I was talking about and wouldn't argue my assumption that it had been her who had done this.

He shrugged. "She could've gone to your landlord and said she lost her keys and he let her in. She might've just compelled him to invite her in. Who really knows."

My forehead wrinkled as my brow pulled together and I leaned away from his chest to look up at him. "Compel?"

His jaw tensed and he closed his eyes for a moment; I had obviously wandered into a conversation he didn't want to have. When he opened his eyes, I saw a brief war happening behind them before a defensive, shielded glaze washed over them. "We can compel humans," he said matter-of-factly.

My lips parted slightly and I stepped away so that the only part of our bodies still connected were his hands resting lightly on my hips. "What do you mean, Damon?" Echoes of Stefan's words began to ring in my ears – _"It's not your fault, love."_

He dropped his hands from my sides. "I don't know how to better explain it to you," he responded in a snide tone.

I stepped back again and felt my heart picking up speed. Damon had compelled me. I hadn't wanted to have sex with him. He…made me? "You raped me," I gasped quietly.

The defensive shield fell quickly and he shook his head. "No," he said sternly. "I absolutely did not." He took a step forward and I matched it with a step backward. "I didn't have you do _anything_ you didn't already want to do."

"But I…" – I didn't want to have sex with him – "I didn't…" – it had felt so right, though – "I'm with Stefan…" – I had thought of Stefan, hadn't I? – "I…couldn't… No…" I shook my head as the thoughts spiraled in my mind and things started to get blurry as my body and mind decided it couldn't handle anymore and took it upon itself to shut down. With one last blink, the world went black.

* * *

DPOV

I watched in near slow motion as she began to sway with each word spoken. I saw her knees trembling and could hear the pace of her heart. I saw her mind struggling to grasp the situation and fail miserably. As she made her way to the ground, I found my arms wrapped around the girls' small body for the third time that day; protecting her, comforting her, holding her.

I lowered us to the ground and her hair was sprawled across her face as she lied haphazardly across my lap. I looked down at her and watched my hand wipe away the brown locks.

What was happening to me? When she had thought I raped her I…I instantly wished she had a stake in her hand and was plunging it through my chest. I wasn't that much of a monster…was I? I didn't force her to have emotions for me. I had only forced her to confront those emotions. No, I didn't think that was at all morally or ethically correct, but, really, when had I _ever_ done anything morally or ethically correct?

I lifted my eyes to the destroyed room in front of me and a spark of anger ignited in my chest. I didn't know what kind of game Katherine was deciding to start, but I was sure it wasn't one she wanted to play with me. I didn't know what she had done earlier to make Elena so upset, but this was obviously just the icing on the cake. I looked back down at Elena and mentally vowed to her that I would shove said cake down Katherine's throat and choke her with it.

I closed my eyes and suppressed a groan. Why was I so adamant about protecting this girl? Was it because I just wanted a reason to kill Katherine and being able to say "I was protecting Elena" was a fucking fantastic excuse. I opened my eyes again and looked at her. No…that wasn't the reason. I genuinely wanted to make everything okay for her again.

Earlier when she had thrown her fit, I let her get it all out up to the point I knew she might end up just hurting herself if she continued. I wanted her to be the one to allow herself to confront her emotions for once. I was glad to see her finally breaking down; not staying strong just for the sake of others. And to be honest, I also wanted her to get it out because I wanted to be berated by her. Masochistic, I know. As much as she hated me, I hated myself more for bringing all of this into her life. Of course Stefan had really started it all by being with her in the first place, but my appearance in their lives obviously got the ball rolling.

When she was pounding her fists against my chest, it was almost like the thrumming of a heartbeat and I reveled in the feeling. When she was at the peak of her anger, the thrumming was quick and hard. When she was starting to weaken, it slowed and I could barely feel it anymore. For the first time, I was able to actually _feel_ her emotions without just seeing them or hearing them. I definitely felt more empathy than before for her. I was finally able to see how Elena worked – she let everything build up until it exploded.

I watched her breaths come and go evenly. Everything about this girl was changing me. She was on my mind more often than not and I almost felt like I cared for something. I almost wanted to pick her up and carry her to Eden Prairie, Minnesota – often ranked one of the nicest cities in the U.S – just to get her away from all of this craziness. I knew, however, that if it were Katherine doing these things to her, there would be nowhere Elena could move to get away from it.

I looked back to the room and sighed. There was no way Elena would be able to live here with the place like this. It was damn near squalor _without_ everything being strewn about. And honestly…there was no way I would _let_ Elena live here by herself period if Katherine was out there.

I scooped my arms underneath Elena's body and stood up with her. I had a feeling when she finally woke up, she would be pretty angry at what I was about to do.

* * *

SPOV

I paced across the faded rug in the parlor of my house as my mind searched for a reason I could go to Elena without it seeming like I was just showing up to check up on her. I thought about upstairs in my room. Maybe she had left something and I could simply be "returning it."

As I was about to turn to go check, I heard the front door open and heavy footsteps walk across the wooden floor. I went toward the sound and rounded the corner to find Damon…holding an unconscious Elena?

I didn't waste time using human speed to get over to them. "What's wrong with her? What did you do, Damon?" I asked angrily, pulling Elena from his arms and into mine.

Damon huffed and folded his arms. "What makes you think it's always _me_ that did something?"

I glared up at him. "It usually is."

He shook his head and walked past me to enter the parlor. "Well, this time it wasn't."

I looked back down at Elena. I could feel her pulse pumping steadily under her skin and I felt a slight wave of relief. "What happened, Damon?" I asked after a few moments, finally being able to speak in a more level tone.

He sat down on the couch. "_Who_ do you think happened, Stefan?"

I closed my eyes. "Katherine," I stated quietly.

"Bingo."

I turned around to face him, shifting Elena so that I was holding her closer to me. "I knew she was upset about the jobs, but I didn't know she was going to get this bad," I sad sadly, looking back down at her.

"The jobs?" Damon asked in a questioning tone.

I lifted an eyebrow and returned my gaze to him. "Yes… the jobs…" I said slowly.

He sat up a bit more straight. "Stefan, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Katherine apparently called and quit both of her jobs."

Damon's jaw went slack for a moment and he sighed an "Oh."

"What do you know that happened?" I asked, realizing this news was new to him. Apparently something else had happened.

He leaned back again. "I went to her place and –"

"What were you doing at her place?" I nearly shouted. I didn't want Damon anywhere near Elena, much less be alone with her.

He held up a hand. "Let. Me. Finish," he said through clenched teeth. "She was crying and she wouldn't tell me why. Now," he continued, drawing out the word, "I obviously know what happened. Anyway, so she went inside and her place pretty much looks like it was the battleground for World War III."

My body felt cold for the first time in a long time. "Katherine was in her home?"

"That's my assumption."

I unconsciously shifted again so that my arms curled up slightly to press her closer to my chest. I looked down at her. "What do we do, Damon?

He was silent for a moment. "We keep her here," he finally said.

My eyes snapped back to his. "She won't want that, Damon." He shrugged. "Damon, she'll _hate_ me if I force her to stay here." Didn't he understand that the last thing I wanted was to give Elena another reason to be mad at me? I was more than in love with her and keeping her hostage was not exactly the way to say that.

He leaned forward so that his arms were resting on his legs. "Stefan, she already hates you. And me for that matter." He let out a humorless chuckle. "She more than expressed that earlier." He shook his head slightly and let out a sigh before sitting back again. "The only way to protect her is to keep her here. At least until we figure out what's going on with Katherine. Then she can leave, never to return again, and all that jazz." His eyes fell from mine to the floor.

My jaw tightened as an odd feeling of…jealousy? washed over me. Damon was absolutely right – there was no other way for me to be sure I could protect her unless I kept her here, but…it shouldn't have been him to come up with this plan. He shouldn't care if she's safe or not. That was my job. That was her boyfriend's job. And he most certainly shouldn't look _sad_ at the fact she may leave and never come back. "Fine, Damon," I started with a small nod. "She stays here…but you leave."

He smirked his obnoxiously cocky grin. "Then how will you protect her if Katherine comes around? You can't fight Katherine _and_ shield her at the same time."

I hated Damon. Once upon a time, I loved him, nearly worshiped him. He was once the greatest older brother anyone could ask for. And then _she_ came along and everything went to hell. She destroyed anything that was ever good about Damon.

I sighed and nodded, knowing that he wouldn't leave and trying to get him to go wasn't worth the fight that would take place. I turned and started for the stairs. I heard him shift on the couch. "Where are you going?" he asked from behind me.

I looked back at him with narrowed eyes. "Why do you even care, Damon?" I finally asked aloud.

His eyes were unguarded for a brief second and the jealousy inside of me flared again. He relaxed into the couch after a moment. "Just want to know where the person I need to be saving is going to be."

I glared at him for several seconds. "She'll be in bed," I responded dryly, then used inhuman speed to reach the bedroom before he could speak again.

Gently, I lowered Elena into my bed and pulled the covers up around her body. Staring down at her, I wished desperately that I could take all the pain away from her. I wished I could be better for her and give her everything she deserved. I wished I wasn't introducing her to a new form of hell on earth named Katherine. I shook my head slightly. Instead of thinking those thoughts, I needed to focus on how I could protect her. I needed to keep her safe. And if I failed…it would be the last thing I ever did. Damon was right. She had to stay here. It was the only way. I leaned down and softly kissed her forehead.

She was really going to hate me when she woke up.

* * *

**Authors Note:** Sigh. Wouldn't we all just _love_ for two exceptionally attractive vampires to be fighting over us? Lol.

Let me know what you think of the chapter!

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See you next chapter!


	8. Chapter 8

My cheek grew warm as the sunlight filtered in through a nearby window. A small smile lingered on my lips as I allowed myself to simply enjoy the feeling. Lately, everything I knew had grown cold and depressing. Just this bit of warmth was enough to take me into a peaceful place.

Slowly, I lifted my arms above my head and tensed all over in a deep stretch. I yawned and rolled over to my other side, snuggling into the plush feather-pillow under my head.

My heart sank into my stomach and my eyes sprang open as the words "feather-pillow" echoed in my mind. I did not have a feather-pillow, but I knew one person who did. I sat upright and looked around, only to have my suspicions confirmed: I was in Stefan's room. I was in Stefan's bed.

Quickly, I thought back to the previous day, trying my hardest to remember how I ended up here. The thoughts that came up simply made me sick to my stomach. I had lost my jobs and my apartment was in tattered pieces. Vague images of my yelling at Damon, hitting Damon, came to mind, then I remembered him coming in to hold me after I found my living room in ruins. Then he had told me vampires could compel humans and…

My jaw went slack and my breathing picked up. I had thought he raped me, but he said I had wanted it.

I believed him.

Then everything went black.

I bent my body forward in half so that my head touched my legs. I was beginning to feel nauseous. In two days flat, my entire life had been demolished. I lost my boyfriend. I lost my jobs. I lost my belongings. I lost the pride about myself I had once held so dearly. I should go write a country song, I surmised.

I shook my head and lifted up again. None of that explained how I ended up here in Stefan's bed. I lifted the sheets and looked at my body; I was still wearing my work clothes. The only time I had ever came to Stefan's place in my work clothes was when I went straight from work to here. Otherwise I would always change before coming; I often felt more inadequate than usual when I was in work clothes and he was not. But I distinctly remembered going to my apartment, not straight here, so why hadn't I changed? My forehead creased as my brow furrowed while I searched for an answer. Suddenly it dawned on me; someone had brought me here.

Although Damon had been there yesterday to comfort me, somewhat, about what was going on with Katherine, I was still infuriated with both him and Stefan. My life was fucked up enough before them. Now all the problems had been amplified and my life was becoming hell-on-earth. The last thing I wanted was to be anywhere near either of them, much less sleeping in his bed. I truly wanted to forget everything about all of them. I would pick up and move away if I needed to.

Throwing the covers from my body, I went to climb out of bed. Just then, the bedroom door swung open and I watched Stefan step inside. His face was cautious as he looked over to me. My eyes simply narrowed.

"Hi, Elena," he started slowly.

"What the hell am I doing here, Stefan?" I snapped.

His eyes fell to the floor and I watched as sadness replaced the caution. "Elena, I'm sorry for everything," he said softly. I stood up and folded my arms across my chest. The last thing I wanted was to start feeling bad for him. I remained silent and he returned his eyes to mine. "I don't want to be this, Elena," he whispered, his eyes taking on a whole new level of tortured. "I want to be human for you. I want to take you away from all of this hurt. I _hate_ myself, Elena, because I can't be what you deserve."

I shifted foot to foot and looked to the floor. His eyes were making it way too hard to remain angry with him. "Stefan, I just don't want to talk about this," I replied quietly. I didn't want him to be sorry. I didn't want to forgive him. I just wanted to forget it all. "Why am I here, Stefan?" I asked again.

He sighed and sat down in a wooden chair. "Damon brought you here after you fainted." Well, that explains why everything went black and how I got here.

I nodded absently for a few seconds as I thought that statement through. "Okay, well…" I looked around for anything that might've been mine – a purse, a jacket – then realizing there was nothing, started forward.

In a flash, Stefan was standing before me. "What are you doing?" he asked.

I looked up at him. "Going home, Stefan. I have a lot of things to start taking care of."

The sadness crept into his eyes again. He was sad I was leaving. I shook away the feeling of guilt I was so used to bringing upon myself. "You can't," he whispered.

"Stefan, I'm sorry, but I don't want to be around you. I want to forget this all happened and just start over," I admitted, starting to step around him.

He matched my step and remained in my way. "No, Elena, I meant you literally can't leave."

"What?" I nearly barked, his comment taking me aback. "Why not?" Thoughts of doors being barricaded from the outside came to mind, yet the thoughts didn't spark any sort of surprise or shock; I wouldn't put anything past Katherine.

"Damon and I decided that it would be safer for you, Elena."

My brow furrowed and I stared into his eyes as I tried to understand his words. "Wait, what?"

"Staying here is safer for you," he repeated the words a bit more slowly.

I stepped back a bit. "Well, I'm sorry that I disagree, Stefan," I responded dryly. I shook my head at the audacity he and Damon would have to try to decide what was safest for me. I started to walk around him again, but like earlier, he moved in my way. "What the hell, Stefan?" I shouted. "Let me by."

"Elena, please understand how sorry I am," he whispered, dropping his head down in a shameful manner. With that, he turned around quickly, closed the door, and I heard the undeniable click of a lock being turned.

My eyes grew wide and I rushed to the door, pulling and shaking the handle. It would budge. "Stefan!" I yelled. "Let me out!" I beat my fists against the door until they started to throb in pain. "Stefan!" I screeched as tears started to form along my waterline. With one last kick of the door, I cried out in frustrated and turned around, sliding down the door until I was sitting with my back against it.

I lifted my head to look up at the ceiling to stop the tears from falling. I had learned that trick when my parents died. Anytime I felt tears forming, I would look up to the heavens until they withdrew. I took several deep breaths to calm myself. How could they? They had no right to force me to stay in this house.

These days kept getting better and better.

Once I knew the tears were gone, I looked around the room. I knew there was no phone in Stefan's room. I didn't think he had one in his entire house, actually. I only ever saw him with a cell phone. My eyes landed on the white cotton sheets strewn about on the bed. Quickly, I stood and rushed over to them.

Picking them up and taking note of the friction between my hands and the fabric, I sighed to myself. I couldn't believe I was actually considering this plan. How cliché.

I grabbed all of the sheets from the bed then several more from the closet, finding seven total, and started tying the ends together. It didn't matter how overused this tactic seemed to be, my only option seemed to be climbing out of the window and I didn't have rope. It took nearly twenty minutes for me to tie the sheets together and once I was sure the knots were secured, I tied one end of the sheets to a post on the bed. I then walked the remaining bundle of sheets in my arms to the windowsill.

Looking back at the first few sheets already stretched halfway across the room, I knew in the back of my mind this plan was doomed to fail. As soon as I started climbing out, either my weight would pull the bed across the room toward the window and the men below would hear the dragging of it or the length of the sheets wouldn't be long enough to get me all the way to the ground and I could possibly fall to my death.

I pushed the thoughts away with a deep inhale and lengthening of my spine. I was going to do this. It was my only option.

I slid the window up roughly and looked out, wondering if I should even take time to look down or not. I decided I at least needed to see how far down I was exactly dealing with.

When my eyes lowered, my mouth fell agape. Clinging to wall from the ground to the window was a metal lattice. I nearly shouted in joy. I bit down on my lower lip to keep from doing so and threw the sheets in my arms to the floor. I wasted no time in swinging a leg over the windowsill and I hooking the tip of my foot into one of the metal loops of the lattice, beginning my decent.

The trip down took less amount of time than it did for me to tie those sheets together, even with me moving slow and focusing on not making any noise. I sighed in relief once I felt the soft grass beneath my tennis shoes. I looked down at them. When I was a child, we realized I was far more prone to tripping while running with shoes on. This was definitely not the time for me to trip. Quietly, I lifted each leg up to my hands and jerked the shoe off, not even taking time to untie them. I then pulled off each sock and placed them all behind a bush. I looked ahead. Stefan's room was at the back of the house so instead of me facing the driveway and main road like the last time I ran from this house, I was facing a densely forested area. I walked over to the corner of the house and looked around. Bright lights spilled out from the windows over the grass all the way to the driveway. There was no way I could get by unnoticed. I turned back to the woods and sighed. Nothing in life ever came easy. With a one last deep inhale, I took off.

I did my best to ignore the splintered branches and pine cones that were stabbing the bottom of my feet as I ran. The only time I slowed down was when it took me a bit to climb over fallen trees or figure out ways to get across deep ditches. In just a few minutes my whole body shook as the winter air chilled it. I thought back longingly to my coat that was still sitting in my car in front of my apartment. My heart pounded in my chest as I moved and I thought dryly about how if I kept all this up, I could start running track for my university.

As I ran, I thought about everything that was happening around me and tried to break it all down for my overexerted mind. Stefan and Damon were vampires. They had an evil ex-girlfriend. She wanted to hurt me, at least mentally so far, for some reason. My jobs were gone and my apartment was ruined. And last, but most certainly not least, I was basically kidnapped. Perfect. I hated these people. People? _Monsters._ They weren't even human. Vampires. I hated these vampires. If I never saw them again it would be too soon.

I decided that as soon as I made it back to my apartment, I would hop in my car and drive. To where I didn't know, but I was going to get the hell out of town.

Just as these thoughts were whirling in my mind and I started to climb over another fallen tree, my body was pressed stomach down into the tree and something hard was resting on my back. I tried to scream but the air had been knocked out of me.

"Elena, what the hell are you doing?" I heard from above me and I closed my eyes tightly. Breathing was starting to get harder and harder. The pressure on my back was suddenly gone and two strong arms yanked me up and slammed me roughly into another tree.

I gasped for air and looked into Damon's eyes. I could instantly tell he was furious. "Do you not understand that everything I do is to protect you?" he growled. It didn't go unnoticed how he said "I" instead of "we." He slammed his fist into the large tree behind me and I watched as splintered bark fell in front of me.

"I just want to go home," I whispered.

"You can't!" he yelled, bringing his face closer to mine. "You can not go home, Elena! I don't know what Katherine is planning and she _will_ kill you if she decides to!"

"Maybe I want to die!" I shouted back. "Maybe I'm so sick of all of you and all of this that I would prefer death!"

His eyes were soft for a split second. "You wouldn't want that, Elena. Trust me."

I narrowed my eyes and placed my hands on his chest and pushed, just like I had done when we were at my apartment. "Just let me go, Damon."

Quickly, Damon grabbed both of my wrists in one of his hands and he lifted them above my head. He stepped forward so that his body was pressed against mine and a new fire took over his eyes. "How many times do I have to say _no_ before you realize I'm not going anywhere," he asked with a sensual throaty tone to his voice. My breath escaped me jaggedly as I realized my body was starting to shake for an entirely different reason than just the winter air. Suddenly, Damon lowered his head and pressed his lips hard against mine.

I leaned as far back into the tree as I could to try to get away from him. His free hand came up to grasp my jaw and he held me in place. Soon, I found myself melting against his lips and I began to kiss back angrily. My mouth opened and his silky tongue slipped in to taste mine. He let out a small groan before pressing his hips into me roughly. I whimpered quietly as my body started to ache from the pressure of the tree against my back and him against my front. He must've understood because he pulled back a little, giving me more room to breath.

Our mouths moved together for several more minutes, my mind becoming more and more cluttered with confusing thoughts of what I was doing, when he suddenly pulled away. He was breathing just as hard as I was and his eyes were still closed.

"Why do you do this to me, Elena?" he asked with a frustrated edge to his voice.

I shook my head. "I don't understand."

He opened his eyes and the ice blue pools behind the lids instantly drew me in. I swam in them. I drowned in them. "I can't stop thinking about you." He exhaled forcefully then quickly lowered his head to my neck. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes as his lips nicked at my skin. "You should mean nothing to me," he groaned between kisses on my throat. "I should just let you go, but I can't."

My brow furrowed but I didn't move. How did this go from me escaping my kidnappers to Damon confessing his…_obsession_ with me while attached to my neck? I lowered my head and pushed against his chest again. "Damon, I'm sorry," I said quietly, trying to shake away the feeling of arousal sprouting in my body. He pulled away and looked down at me. "But it's like I told Stefan, I just want to forget all of this."

He kissed me forcefully, nearly breaking down my entire resolve. He leaned away again. "I don't believe you," he said sinisterly with narrowed eyes. He shoved his pelvis into mine again and my eyelids fluttered briefly with the sensation. He smirked at the reaction.

Abruptly, Damon spun me around and laid me on my back on the fallen tree. "What are you doi–" I started to say, but out of nowhere Damon grabbed a fistful of my black slacks and ripped them from my body. I gasped and tried to get up. "Damon!"

He shook his head and swung a leg over my body so that he was still standing, his legs straddling me and the tree, and I was lying on my back beneath him. He reached down and with a flick of his wrist, started working the buttons out of their holes on my button-down shirt. "Elena," he said slowly, his eyes briefly glancing up to mine and once again drawing me short of breath. "I'm going to show you why you don't want to forget about me." I watched him undo the last button and push the sides of the shirt off my shoulders. Slowly, he placed a finger at the base of my throat and ran it down along my chest, between my breasts, and across my stomach, stopping at the hem of my panties. He then began to draw the line back up. I shuttered and goosebumps decorated my skin. He cocked his head to the side and looked down at me. "Why is your heart beating so fast, Elena?" he asked almost mockingly.

"I-I'm scared," I stuttered softly.

His smirk returned and he tilted his head to the other side. "I highly doubt that's the reason, Elena." I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to calm myself. He was wrong, I was scared, but not of him hurting me. I was scared about what I knew was about to happen between us. I was scared that…I _wanted_ this to happen between us. I felt his finger start down again and I gasped when suddenly his entire palm was covering my right breast on the outside of my bra. My eyes flew open. He grinned down at me as he began to massage, kneading the soft mound with his hand.

I bit down hard on my lower lip to stifle a groan and closed my eyes. He lifted his free hand to my face, placed one finger on my upper chin, and began to drag my skin down until the lip popped free from my teeth. "It's okay," he said softly, sexuality dripping off his tongue. He squeezed the breast roughly, then ripped the bra from my chest, and I unintentionally threw my head back and moaned. I heard him chuckle. He placed a finger of his free hand on my chest and moved it down to circle around my left nipple, successfully bringing it to a hard peak, then he continued down and hooked the top hem of my panties.

I shook my head. "Damon, this isn't right," I said in a breathy voice, trying to sit back up.

His hands stopped moving. "Why not, Elena?"

I opened my eyes to look up at him. I didn't know what to do anymore. I wanted to forget about vampires and the Salvatore brothers, but they were making that task extremely difficult to accomplish.

"You're not with Stefan anymore, right?" he asked me.

My brow furrowed. "No. I'm not."

"So, then you're not breaking your moral code. You're not cheating on anyone."

I moved my eyes away from his. "But…you're a vampire," I whispered. "And I don't want that."

He bent down toward me, a wicked glint in his eyes. "Elena," he began, his sweet breath blowing coolly across my face. "I promise that you won't want anything _other than_ a vampire after this." He placed a hand flat against my chest and gently, yet forcefully, pushed me back down against the tree.

I felt slight excitement course through me at his words and my mind screamed at me to struggle, to run away. My body, however, kept me in place.

He slid the hand on my chest down again and rested it for a moment on top of my panties. I gasped when I felt his thumb start to make circles on my pelvic bone, then slide down in between my legs. My body reacted on it's own and my back arched as he pressed into the soft bundle of nerves. His other hand went back to roll my nipple between his thumb and index finger. I bit down on my lip again and squeezed my eyes tight as the motion of his thumb rubbing against my clit made my body grow warm.

Suddenly, I felt my panties pulled from my body and the night air wrapped around me like a blanket. It was an odd, yet pleasant sensation. Every nerve in my body was nearly on fire, but the air that touched my skin was as cold as snow. My teeth began to chatter. I clenched my jaw tight.

I opened my eyes when I felt Damon's lips press softly against my abs. He looked up at me from underneath his dark lashes and I was suddenly thankful I wasn't standing for my knees would have certainly given out. His hand continued rotating around my breast above him, but his other hand slid out from between my legs to caress my thigh. He began to pepper the kisses lightly across my stomach, then slowly down. My heart was beating loud enough for me to hear in my ears as his lips traveled near the junction of my legs. I moaned and threw my head back when his soft tongue exited his lips and dipped in between the lips of my vagina. I fought back the urge to writhe against the tree when his lips began to suck on my skin below, his tongue moving in and out, up and down. I felt sweat bead along my hairline as his tongue circled around my clit. "Damon," I moaned, closing my eyes tight and basking in the feeling of him sucking on me. I groaned again when a finger entered inside of me, then a second. Damon curved his fingers and began to move cautiously in and out, perfectly hitting the spot inside of me. All of his movements were slow and sensual and nearly enough to drive me insane. My body ached for him to be rough, to bring me to the edge, but what he was doing was just enough to build me up, then let the feeling subside slowly.

"Damon, please," I whispered hungrily.

His lips moved away from me. "What was that, Elena?"

I bit on my lower lip hard when his fingers exited me all the way. "Please," I begged again.

"I thought you didn't _want_ a vampire, Elena," he mocked. I tilted my hips up in response and whimpered. I was pathetic. "You're sure?" he asked. I couldn't help but moan. "So be it," he replied casually, but I could hear the excitement in his voice as well.

Abruptly, his fingers plunged into me again and his lips wrapped around my clit. His movements now were quick and hard. His tongue massaged the bundle of nerves while he sucked and I nearly screamed, my hands balling up into tight fists by my side. His fingers pushed in and out faster and I felt a knot growing in my lower abdomen. My back began to ache as tree bark pressed through my shirt into my back and dug in as his fingers rocked me back and forth. Suddenly, he moaned loudly and vibrated my very center. This time, I did scream as the knot exploded and waves of heat coursed through my body. Sparks of white light filtered behind my lids and I moaned his name over and over again as I felt the orgasm lap over me, settling in to each of my nerves.

My exhales came out in near pants as Damon pulled away from my body and stood up. As the last bit of the orgasm began to subside, my body rested limply against the tree, my arms hanging at my sides. I looked up when I heard the clinking of Damon's belt being undone. I groaned quietly as I watched him hook his fingers into his pants, then pull them and the boxers down. He then stood, his eyes locked on me the entire time, and pulled his shirt over his head. When we had been together before, I never got a really good look at the man I was with. This time, there he was in all his glory and…_god_ did he look unbelievable. Every muscle in his body was sculpted to perfection. His pale skin was almost glowing against the black backdrop. And his penis…well, I was not normally one to get visually stimulated by the sight of a penis, but his had saliva pooling my mouth and my center growing wet again. He stepped forward so that he was standing over me again. Slowly, he reached down and placed his hands on my sides. As he began to lift me, my eyes remained locked with his. I was completely captivated by the man.

He picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist to keep myself up. His erect penis grazed against my aching clit and I sucked in a sharp breath of air. Damon turned us around until my back was against the same tree as earlier. He brought his face in to kiss me softly. "Elena…I think I love you," he whispered and my heartbeat faltered momentarily. He kissed my cheek, then moved his lips down to my throat. His breath roaming up and down my skin made me shiver. He paused his lips where my throat met my neck and groaned.

"What is it?" I asked quietly, trying my best to not focus on his obviously willing member just inches from my opening.

"I want to bite you," he answered honestly. I tried to hide my gasp.

Damon wanted to bite me. A vampire wanted to drink from me. The thoughts sent the flames licking up my body again and confused me. That was not the proper reaction. I swallowed hard and nodded. "Okay."

He looked up at me with apparent surprise on his face. "Really?" I nodded again. A small crooked grin lit up his lips and his eyes took on the devilish glint. Suddenly, his hands on my hips propelled me down and he was buried inside of me. My back arched and I moaned his name. "Damon."

The next few minutes all went very quickly. His thrusts into me were hungry and hard, causing me to groan with each downward pull. His teeth sank into my neck and I screamed loudly, though the pain only added to my pleasure. He angled his body so that my clit rubbed forcefully against his pelvic bone with each movement. When he pulled back from my neck, I watched the red liquid drip off his lips. Without thinking, I moved forward and caught his lips with mine. The blood was sour and sweet and tasted like rust. Our tongues danced together as his bucking hips became fitful and rushed. My hands flew into his hair and I gripped tightly. With one last bounce, the same sparks as earlier crashed into me. "Unnghhhh!" I shouted, throwing my head back against the tree. At the same time, I felt him start to pump under my skin and he moaned my name, sending even more chills through me. His hands left my hips and he gripped the tree behind me. I could hear the crunching of bark accompanying our sounds of sexual delight.

When the waves began to fall away, Damon pulled me against his chest and lowered us to the dirty forest floor. He kissed my neck where he had bit me and whispered words of "thank you's" and "I love you's" against my skin.

In that moment, I decided I would never want anything more than a vampire.

* * *

**Authors Note:** My smut chapters are always so much longer. ;)

Tell me what you think! Reviews help me write sooo much faster.

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See you guys next chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

EPOV

As the warmth from our…_ heated_ exchange began to escape my body, the winter air settled back in and I began to tremble.

Damons' arms wrapped tightly around my waist. "You're cold," he whispered into my neck. I simply nodded. "Let's get you back," he responded and moved away from my shoulder to lightly kiss my cheek.

His words chilled me more than the air. Even after everything I had just been through with Damon – from willingly having sex with him to him confessing his love for me – I still did not want to go back to that house. I still wanted to get into my car and drive away. The only thing that had changed was that I didn't want to forget the Salvatore brothers, yet I still didn't think I could afford to have them in my life right now. This encounter with Damon was kind of like my last hoorah.

Damon felt my body stiffen and he stopped his movement to look me in the eye. "What's wrong?" he asked.

I tightened my jaw and averted my eyes from his as I climbed off his lap. Taking a step away from him, I reached down for my white button-down shirt – the only piece of clothing of mine that wasn't torn. In the back of my mind I thought about how if I didn't get either more clothes or to a warm place, I was going to freeze to death.

"Elena," Damon started slowly, breaking me from my distracted reverie. I turned to look at him. "What's wrong?" he repeated.

I sighed while slipping the shirt on and starting at the bottom with the buttons. "I don't want to go back, Damon," I finally answered grudgingly.

He was silent as he stooped to grab his pants and boxers. "Here," was all he said as he held out the boxers for me.

My cheeks burned a little as I took them. "Thank you," I replied quietly and put them on. They weren't warm by any means, but at least they covered me. I walked over to the fallen tree and sat on it, pulling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. I watched him as he shrugged up his jeans, carefully avoiding my gaze. The atmosphere was starting to get tense and slightly awkward as I waited for him to respond to my statement.

When he was finally dressed with his shirt and pants back on, he turned to me. "Why not?" he asked bluntly.

I bit on my lower lip and looked down at the ground. In a flash, I was staring at his legs as he was suddenly standing in front of me. A cold finger touched my chin and gently tilted my head up. His intense gaze made my heartbeat quicken and I didn't know if I was scared of how he might react or if I was scared of hurting him.

"This just isn't right for me," I answered softly.

"I'm not right for you?" he asked coldly.

I tried to lower my head but his hand kept me in place. "No," I started quietly, "that's not what I meant."

He knelt down so that his head was on the same level as mine and he placed both of his hands on my cheeks. "Elena, you understand that I love you, right?" I nodded. Of course I understood at this point. He had expressed it in so many ways. Suddenly, the usual iciness of his blue eyes was contradicted by a brilliant fire burning behind them. "Do you love me?"

My lips parted slightly as my jaw went slack. Did I love him? I was completely frozen in place. _Love _him? The idea of loving someone I had literally met a few days before was absurd. Love, in my world, didn't happen instantly. Love took time. Love took work, and that meant a lot more work than simply having great sex – even if it did happen twice. Now that I was thinking about it, how did he know he really loved me? Couldn't it just be some other form of infatuation? A common crush misrepresented? I couldn't stop myself from asking the question aloud. "How do you know you love me, Damon?"

A flutter erupted somewhere in my chest as a small smile played at his lips. "Elena," he began with confidence. "When you've been around for as long as I have, you become unnaturally attuned to your emotions. There's just no need in questioning it."

His answer, unfortunately, wasn't satisfying enough for me. I was still skeptical anyone could fall in love in such a short amount of time. I looked away from his eyes. I knew that somewhere inside of me, I did feel something for Damon, even if I wouldn't describe it as love, but it wasn't enough to make me stay. Images of my parents flickered in my mind. I owed it to them to protect myself and to stay alive. Allowing myself to stay around Stefan and Damon was just putting myself in the line of fire. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "But I can't."

* * *

SPOV

Once again, I found myself pacing across the living room floor. If I kept at it, I'm sure a path would form.

I had been in the study when I received an interesting phone call from Damon.

_I flipped open the cell phone. "Hello?"_

"_Let's buy a lock for your bedroom window, shall we?" _

_I felt my eyes grow wide and I used my inhuman speed to run upstairs. Before I even unlocked the door, I could hear the steady flapping of the window curtains as a breeze ruffled them. When the door opened, my stomach knotted at the absence of Elena. I placed the phone against my ear again. "Where is she?" _

I heard Elena's profanities before the front door could even be opened.

"Put me down, Damon! I swear to all that is fucking holy! You _cannot_ force me to stay here! Do you understand this is kidnapping! Damn it, Damon!"

I sighed and rubbed my eyelids with my thumb and index finger. I looked up when Damon walked into the living room. An uncomfortable wave washed over me as I saw her slung over his shoulder wearing nothing but her usual work shirt and… his boxers? I'm sure most people would call the feeling jealousy. I wanted to rush to her side, take her from Damon, and protect her, but she had made it blatantly clear she and I were no longer together.

Damon grabbed her hips and placed her on the ground. In other situations, her expression would have been comical. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her lips were pressed into a tight, pouty line. Her face was bright red and it was obvious she was beyond pissed. It was all almost childlike, but I knew laughing would be the worst possible thing to do in that moment.

I refocused on her clothing…or lack thereof. The black boxers that hung loosely around her petite frame were definitely Damon's. Her work shirt was long enough that it almost covered the boxers and it was completely buttoned. The slightly see-through fabric revealed that she wasn't wearing a bra and it was obviously cold outside.

I looked away quickly when my thoughts drifted to her naked chest. It was inappropriate for me to look at Elena that way while she was unaware and unwilling.

"What happened?" I finally asked, turning my attention to Damon.

He shrugged. "She tried to run away."

His answer was unsurprising. I knew Elena wouldn't just accept being locked in my bedroom, but I figured I would know when she tried to leave. Obviously that was not the case. My mind kept drifting to the clothes she was wearing. How did she end up in them? Surely Elena would not have tried running away naked; it was far too cold for that. I turned to look at her. "Elena, we're only trying to keep you safe." She scoffed and rolled her eyes. The response hurt me a little. "You don't think we are?"

She dropped her hands and rested them on her hips. "This is where we all come to an impasse. You two think I'm safer here _with_ you. I think I'm safer _away from_ you."

"How does that make sense?" Damon asked in a patronizing tone.

"How does it not?" she snapped, glaring over at him. "Before I met you and Stefan, nothing bad came my way besides the accidental death of my parents. It stands to reason that if I go back to that life, all the bad stuff will go away."

I immediately looked over to Damon and he met my gaze. I saw the same sadness that I felt wash over his expressions. She didn't understand. Her life would never go back to the way it was with Katherine out there. Katherine wouldn't stop until whatever she was planning was followed through with.

"Elena," I started slowly, taking a step toward her. "You don't understand." I began to repeat my thoughts. "Katherine won't go away. It doesn't matter if you stay here or go. She's going to keep going until whatever she has planned is accomplished. Now, I understand if after this is over with you want to leave and you want to forget about us, but until then we're the only ones that can physically protect you." She folded her arms over her chest again and I watched the muscles in her jaw flex as she clenched her teeth together. "That's why you have to stay here, Elena. As much as you think you can handle things on your own, I'm not willing to take that risk. I promise that I will keep you safe. Even if that means fighting you the whole way."

I watched as the tops of Elena's cheeks began to lighten into a deeper shade of red and her eyes glistened over. I wanted to kill myself for making her cry. Before any tears could fall over her lashes, she turned and ran up the stairs. The slamming of my bedroom door echoed throughout the house. I wished Elena had broken down in front of me; given me a change to consol her, but she was too proud to cry in front of people, if she allowed herself to cry at all. I turned back to Damon. "What now?"

* * *

DPOV

I continued to stare up the stairs after Elena when Stefan started to speak to me. I wanted to go upstairs and calm her; make her feel better. I knew better than that, though. It would be more likely that she'd spit in my face before she let me help her.

"We wait," I responded dryly, turning back to him with a sigh. I was annoyed with Stefan. His whole "I will protect you" speech had brought back the long lost twang of jealousy in my repertoire of newly acquired emotions. I was so used to shutting everything off. It had been a long time since I had felt any sort of love, compassion…_emotion _in general for another person. Now that it was all back, each emotion was amplified and I felt them to my very core. They were no longer fleeting; they were becoming embedded in me.

"For…?" he prodded.

"Katherine, Stefan," I nearly snapped. I had assumed the answer was obvious. "We wait for Katherine." I walked over to my favorite straight back, grandfather chair and sat. Stefan did the same in the sofa across the room.

It was silent for several minutes before Stefan spoke again. "Why was she in your boxers, Damon?"

Ah, I knew the question would come sooner or later. I knew that once he saw her in them, it would gnaw at his thoughts until he had to ask. It was almost like I was letting him know that I was claiming what was mine. Of course the thought of claiming her was absolutely barbaric, Elena was no one to be _claimed_, but between him and me, it got the point across. "Because she was cold, Stefan," I responded.

"Where were her clothes?" I could see I had lit a fuse.

"Well, Stefan, you can't really have sex with clothes on, now can you?"

Instantly, Stefan lunged from his seat and charged at me. I had been expecting such a response and was prepared. Quite easily, I grabbed his shoulders and slung him around me. He hit the wall shoulder first and then fell into a crouch, his vampire traits protruding clearly, a snarl lingering at his lips. "You compelled her again," he accused.

"No, no, no," I answered, crossing my arms over my chest. "You put vervain in her system." I lifted an eyebrow and waited for him to digest that information. She had been with me willingly.

He narrowed his eyes. "Why are you doing this, Damon?"

Let's add fuel to that fire. "Because I love her." Again, Stefan darted toward me. My arm shot out in front of me and I grasped Stefan around his throat. I rammed him up against the nearest wall and held him there, glaring up at him. "Stefan, it would be best for you to remember who's the strongest here; who's still drinking human blood." I decided to spare him the fact that at that exact moment, it was Elena's blood running through my veins.

"You do not love Elena," he managed to choke out.

I tilted my head. "You have no idea what I feel."

"You don't _feel_," he sneered. "You're incapable of loving another person."

I rolled my eyes and released him, walking back to my place in the chair. "It's surprising how little you know about me, Stefan. I am completely capable of love. Allowing myself to love, however, is an entirely different situation."

"Why her?" he asked from behind me.

I stopped walking and slowly turned back to him, thinking his question through. I didn't have an exact answer to why I loved Elena. I just did and I knew I did. She was beautiful and strong and courageous and witty and intelligent. Not only that, she was my complete opposite in the way that she tried her best to uphold a moral code. I found that attractive. And she was quite possibly the best sex I had ever had. Who wouldn't love Elena? "It doesn't matter why," I finally answered. "I just do."

"I will always fight for her, Damon," Stefan promised.

I nodded and continued back to my chair. "Then I welcome the war, Stefan."

* * *

**Authors Note:** Sorry it took so long for this update guys. You know how life gets. Sigh. Lol.

Sooo, what do you guys think of the newly compassionate, yet still haughty Damon? I like him having a little more depth than "I hate the world and everything in it."

Leave reviews telling me what you think.

For updates on how I'm doing with stories, follow me on twitter: APhobiac

Also, my blog is another good place to get updates on what's going on. I like to post teasers and sneak peeks and random bits of information there: writingtoberemembered(dot)blogspot(dot)com

Hopefully I can get chapter 10 up sooner than later.

See you guys next chapter.

Update: I just received this question from a reader and I definitely should have explained this better because it really wasn't clear.

The question: Damon tells Stefan that vervain was in Elena's system and that's why he couldn't compel her. However, if vervain was in her system, how could he have bitten her? Was the vervain out of her system by then?

The answer: Yes, the vervain was out of her system by then and Damon knew very well that it was, hence why he bit her. However, in the heat of this argumentative moment, he knew Stefan would not believe he didn't compel her unless he had a solid reason. By telling Stefan that he literally couldn't compel her (even if he could have), Stefan would understand that Elena willingly slept with Damon. Damon wanted Stefan to understand this one fact over all others. Once Stefan became aware of Elena's willingness, he was so caught up in that fact that he didn't stop and take time to break down the technical aspect of how vervain worked and how it would have been gone by then. Either way, Damon actually did not compel Elena, and he wanted Stefan to completely believe that. Get it? Sorry that was so confusing. :)


	10. Chapter 10

I laid on Stefan's bed and stared at the ceiling until my eyes dried. I still found their method of protecting me entirely unfair - I was a grown woman for gods sake - but I was starting to understand where they were coming from. The tears that sprouted downstairs formed only when it dawned on me that what they were saying was true; Katherine would never go away. Until Stefan and Damon did something with her, I was going to be stuck with this shadow lingering over me.

I flopped over onto my stomach and buried my head into the pillow. One thought bounced around in my mind: What now?

I still wanted to leave this house. I still wanted to get into my car and drive. I still believed that not having the Salvatore brothers in my life would be better for me.

A strange pang resonated in my chest at the thought of them not being there. I sighed and let out a small groan. I knew what was happening to me. I was starting to have feelings for these men; for these vampires. As much as I fought with them and told them I didn't want them in my life, I knew that it was untrue. I had even tried lying to myself. Granted, I absolutely did believe that my life would be safer with them gone – something I owed to my parents – that's not what I really wanted.

It was the usual game of my heart disagreeing with my head.

But overall, one thing was for sure: I was emotionally attached to the Salvatore brothers. And more surprisingly, those emotions were stronger for the one I had just met.

They wanted to protect me even when I didn't want them there. They stayed even when I tried pushing them away. Those actions deserved some compassion, didn't they?

Realizing all of this, however, changed nothing. As soon as Katherine was out of the picture, Damon and Stefan had to go as well. I had to push aside the emotions, hide the way I felt from the Salvatore's, and do what I thought was best for me.

With another groan, I rolled over to my side. My thoughts were confusing and disconnected. It was giving me a headache.

Just then, there was a small knocking at the door. My teeth automatically clenched together. Now was the time to force those emotions away. I needed them to understand that our feelings no longer mattered.

The door creaked open. "Elena?" Stefan called quietly. I closed my eyes and remained silent. He stepped inside with a small sigh and shut the door behind him.

"What do you want?" I asked coldly, my eye still shut. Sooner than expected, the bed jostled beneath me and a portion of the mattress lowered under his weight. I looked over at him, less then a foot from my feet.

"I came to check on you," he responded softly.

"Well, here I am. I haven't run away," I said and closed my eyes before adding, "Yet."

He groaned. "Elena, I wish you wouldn't try again. You're just making it more difficult." I let out one sharp, short, humorless chuckle and he groaned again. "And I wish you wouldn't do _that. _I'm not your enemy, Elena. I'm only trying to help you."

Time to play my part. "By kidnapping me?" I opened my eyes to look at him again.

"If that's what you want to call it, then yes."

"Well, aren't you such a hero, then?"

He scooted closer to me on the bed and reached out for my hand with his own. "I don't want to hurt you anymore, Elena, I really don't. I want to make this all better for you." I looked up into his eyes and instantly regretting making contact with the smoldering green orbs. "I still love you, Elena, and I don't think anything is going to change that."

Slowly, I pulled my hand from his and pushed up to a sitting position. I looked down at the bed. "Stefan, I can't," I whispered. "I can't love you anymore," because I love your brother, "because it just isn't what's right for me."

He stood up and started for the door. Halfway there, he turned back to me. "I'm going to prove to you that when all this is done and over with, it'll be okay to have me in your life." With that, he left the room.

I dropped down onto my back again and inhaled deeply. I had a feeling getting through to Damon and Stefan was going to be more difficult than fighting Katherine.

* * *

It had been 15 days since I first met Damon in Stefan's living room; 14 days since my first sexual escapade with Damon; 13 days since I lost my jobs and home because of Katherine; and 12 days since the first time Stefan locked me in his room.

It, surprisingly, only takes half a month for a life to be destroyed. I would've guessed longer.

I had spent a majority of the past two weeks sitting in Stefan's room staring out of the window. It wasn't because I was locked in any longer, I knew they started leaving it unlocked the fourth day I was here, but because there was nothing and no one I cared to see downstairs. Stefan and Damon would occasionally step in and try to spark a conversation, but I always either responded with a short, to-the-point answer or not at all. I was still very angry that I was being kept there and my emotions dealing with love had been locked up with the key thrown away.

We quickly fell into a sort of routine: around 8 AM I would wake up and find an assortment of breakfast items spread out on the desk (I hardly ever touched any of it), I would go shower and take care of my – what Damon liked to refer to as – "human responsibilities" while the breakfast was cleaned up, and then I would go back and sit in Stefan's room and either do nothing or read a book until noon. Around noon, one of the Salvatore brothers would bring me something for lunch – 2/3 of the time it was take out – and embark on another failed attempt at having a conversation. When I finished what I wanted of the food, they would take it away. Dinner came around 7 PM. Sometimes Damon or Stefan would stop by before 7 to try and talk again, but usually I was alone between lunch and dinner. Then when my dinner was taken away, I would "go to bed," which actually meant I stared at the ceiling until midnight or later until sleep finally drifted over me.

Overall, I lived a very boring life in the Salvatore home. I think Stefan and Damon left me alone so much because they were trying to do whatever it would take to make me happy, and so far I had more than expressed my desire to be alone.

I hadn't heard anything about Katherine. I was beginning to think she had moved on to bigger and better things than ruining me, but Damon and Stefan stayed wary so I didn't lose all hope that one day she would barge in and finish me.

I found myself thinking that way a lot. I started fantasizing the thought of death; morbid, I know, but when you have nothing else to think about other than how your life has become just a few shattered pieces that are in danger of being further destroyed, death starts to sound fairly nice. Death starts to sound peaceful and freeing.

So far this morning, I had been awake since 5 AM. I watched quietly as Stefan brought in the breakfast, set it up, and left. When I finally climbed out of the bed at 8, I decided that today I was tired of the routine. I had been in this room for 2 weeks. I was ready to go outside.

I quickly went through my morning routine and changed into day clothes, then gathered up all of my frustrations as a source of courage and marched downstairs. When I walked into the kitchen, I found Damon sitting in a bar stool, staring out of the kitchen windows. He swiveled around in his chair when he heard me approach and his eyes grew slightly wide at the sight of me.

"What are you doing?" he asked brusquely.

I folded my arms over my chest. "Good morning to you, too," I responded.

He narrowed his eyes and I could see the distrust behind them. "Good morning, Elena," he said slowly. "Now what are you doing?"

I bit down on my lower lip for a second. "Can I not just want to come downstairs to say hello?" I finally asked. He narrowed his eyes even more and tilted his head. I sighed. "I want to go outside."

Almost immediately he shook his head and turned back around. "No."

Instinctively, I threw my arms down by my side and balled my hands into fists. I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself down, I was walking a very thin line between throwing a temper tantrum like a child and presenting my wants like an adult. After a few deep breaths, I unraveled my clenched fingers and moved my hands to my hips. "Damon," I finally started, "this is not a request. I'm telling you I'm going outside." A light, throaty chuckle sounded from Damon and I felt my face turn bright red. How dare he laugh at me! I crossed my arms again and headed for the back door. Abruptly, Damon had me pressed against the kitchen wall, his palms resting on the wall on either side of my head. I forced myself to look away from his mesmerizing blue eyes.

"You're so cute when you're angry and trying to take control of things," he smirked.

"Fuck you," I sneered, half surprised that such a crude remark was escaping my lips. I usually shied away from such language.

"I'm sure you'd like to," he replied with a raised eyebrow. I glared up at him and he laughed again before dropping his hands and taking a step back. "Why do you want to go outside, Elena?"

"Because I'm tired of being inside," I answered in a mocking, lofty tone, indicating that was a stupid question to ask.

"Stop being so snide, love. It's definitely not flattering on you." I rolled my eyes. "So, where do you want to go outside?"

I quickly thought up an answer because, honestly, I hadn't thought past the back yard. "The park." I watched as the muscles in his jaw tightened and released as he thought over my answer.

Just then, I heard footsteps on the tile I turned to see Stefan entering the kitchen. He slowed as he saw us and I watched caution creep over his face. "Elena? What's going on?" he asked warily.

Damon stared at me for a few more seconds before turning to Stefan. "She wants to go outside."

Stefan shook his head and looked at me with sadness in his eyes. "Elena, you can't."

I rubbed my eyes with my thumb and index finger. "Why do you two think you can make all of my decisions?" I asked with exasperation.

Stefan sighed. "We're just trying –"

"To keep me safe. Yeah, yeah, yeah," I finished for him, dropping my hands back to my hips. I looked at both of them. "I _need_ to go outside for a little while. I'm so sick of being stuck in this house waiting for…_something_ to happen! What if she never comes, guys? You're going to keep me locked up there forever?" My voice was on the verge of entering shouting range as I became more frustrated.

The two men exchanged looks for several moments before Stefan sighed. "Okay," he said, defeat obvious in his tone. "You can go outside."

"To the park," I clarified with determination in my voice.

"Then we'll have to go as well," Damon said, turning to look at me. "Either you can go outside _here _and be alone, or you can go to the park and we can go along. Think of us as…bodyguards," he smirked.

"I prefer the term babysitters," I responded.

An hour later, I found myself strolling down the quiet path of the local nature park. The sound of the leaves crunching beneath my tennis shoes and the wind ruffling my hair relaxed me more than I would've ever thought. Stefan and Damon both walked approximately 30 feet behind me, but it was easier here to pretend I was alone; all I had to do was stare straight ahead and never look back.

* * *

DPOV

Stefan and I kept quiet as we followed Elena; mostly because we wanted her to feel like she had some privacy, but also so that we could better listen to our surroundings.

I found it difficult to pay attention to all of the things happening in the forest as I watched Elena. I was captivated by the way she moved; how the wind would lift her silky brown hair; how every now and again, she would lift her face to the sky with closed eyes and simply enjoy the sun on her creamy skin.

I heard Stefan clear his throat and I couldn't help but grin. Of course he would notice how I looked at her. I ran a hand over my face and through my hair before finally tearing my eyes away from her and looking out into the trees.

"Hey, guys," Elena started and both Stefan and I turned our gazes to her. "I need a few minutes," she said and pointed to a small house-like structure tucked away between some trees.

I glanced over at Stefan then back to her. "You can't wait until you get home?" I asked. I didn't like the idea of her being out of my sight for even a few minutes. She pressed her lips into a thin line and gave me a hard look that very clearly said she could not wait. I sighed and looked down at my watch. "Five minutes."

"Ten," she corrected. I looked up at her. Give them an inch and they want a mile.

"Ten," Stefan said beside me. "Go ahead." I resisted the urge to glare at him. It appeared that we were playing the good cop-bad cop game.

She nodded and I watched as she twisted her fingers together in a fidgeting motion. Was she nervous? She looked down for a few seconds, then back up. "Where will you guys be?" Yep. She was definitely nervous. I pointed to a bench near us. "Right here on this bench." She nodded again before turning and going into the bathroom.

Stefan and I walked over to the bench and sat down.

"Why do you have to keep staring at her?" Stefan asked.

I laughed. "Jealous?"

"Of what?" he scoffed.

I looked over at him. "Don't act like you don't know that she would pick me over you."

His jaw tensed for a moment. "If you haven't forgotten, Damon, she's currently not picking either of us."

I nodded. "Currently." I was positive that she would eventually decide to choose one of us, after all of the Katherine stuff was over with.

We both waited quietly for Elena after that. Exactly 7 minutes later, the bathroom door opened and she stepped out. I furrowed my brow slightly. She had apparently scrunched water into her hair as it was curling slightly and she now had it all thrown up into a long ponytail.

She looked at us, nodded once, and then started down the trail again. Stefan and I both stood and followed after her, maintaining the appropriate distance.

We walked until the sun was starting to set and Stefan and I agreed that we no longer felt comfortable with keeping her out. "Elena," I called out to her. "It's time to go home."

She stopped walking and turned back to us with a sly smile that made me uncomfortable. "Meet me there?" she asked sweetly.

Before I could ask what she was talking about, she took off with inhuman speed into the forest. My head jerked around to Stefan and his face held all of the shock I felt.

He spoke just one word: "Katherine."

* * *

**Authors Note:** As my beta pointed out, this was probably predictable and I knew it would be. She always tends to show up when she's not wanted, huh? :)

Please review and tell me what you think. (Reviews help me write faster AND better.)

I will hopefully have Chapter 11 up in the next few days.

For updates on the story and other random bits of stuff, follow me on twitter: APhobiac or go to my blog: writingtoberemembered(dot)blogspot(dot)com

Thanks so much to my beta!

See you guys next chapter.


	11. Chapter 11

DPOV

My mind was muddled with a hundred different thoughts. Where was Elena? Had Katherine hurt her? How could we have not heard something coming from the bathroom? How could I have thought that was Elena? How was I supposed to feel now that Katherine was really back? I shook my head slightly as if it would shake away the cluttered thoughts and I zoned in on the first question.

"Stefan, go after Katherine. I'll go back to find Elena." I started to turn around, but Stefan's hand grabbed my shoulder roughly and halted my movement.

"Why don't you go after Katherine?" he asked flatly.

I shoved his hand away and narrowed my eyes at him. "We do not have time for your jealousy, Stefan," I spat, speaking the words quickly. "If Elena's in trouble right now, who's going to be the most help to her? The one with or without human blood in their system?" I watched as his face fell slightly in defeat. He knew I was right. If Katherine had doubled back or if she had someone with her who was just as powerful as her, Stefan would be nothing but a mere nuisance. They would be able to swat him away like a fly. I was just as strong, if not stronger, than my vampire peers. "Make sure you find Katherine. Don't let her out of your sight. When I make sure Elena is okay, we'll take care of Katherine. Now, go!" Before waiting for his response, I spun around and headed back to where the bathrooms were.

* * *

EPOV

I stared at myself in the mirror and sighed. It was nice of the guys to let me walk in the park today, but once I really started thinking about it, it didn't change the fact that I still wasn't free. I basically had to get permission, like a child, to go outside. A brief flash of a memory entered my mind:

"_Pleeeease, Moooom," I whined while sagging my shoulders and sticking my lower lip out into a pitiful pout. _

"_Elena, no," she said sternly from her place at the kitchen table. _

"_But I promise to be quick," my 8-year-old self promised. _

_She peered over her glasses at me with a slightly amused expression. "Elena, if I let you go play outside, it will be near impossible to get you back in. And it's almost bedtime." _

_My father walked around the corner with my younger brother hanging on his back like a monkey. "What does she want to do?" he asked as he looked over his shoulder at Jeremy. _

"_She wants to go outside," she answered, taking off her glasses and sitting them on the table. "But it's almost bedtime. And she's already had a bath."_

"_I told her I'd be quick, Dad. Please, please, please." I had only started saying 'Mom' and 'Dad' about a week before. It made me feel cool and grown up, whereas 'Mama' and 'Daddy' made me feel like I was a kid._

_He laughed and pulled Jeremy around his side and placed him on the floor. He looked over at my mother. "How about 15 minutes?" _

_I felt my face light up with a huge smile. "Yeah, 15 minutes, Mom! Just 15 minutes."_

_She sighed and tried to hide her smile. "Fine. 15 minutes, not a minute longer." She picked up her glasses, put them back on, then lifted her book to her face again. I watched as she glanced at my father, gave him a small smile, then returned to her book. _

I felt the warning signs of tears as my face heated up. I missed them. A lot. I had never really taken the time to grieve over their loss. I had to be strong for Jeremy.

With a heavy, uneven exhale, I leaned over the bathroom sink and reached to turn on the cold water. Just then, a small tap on the grimy surface of the sink caught my attention and I looked down. The greenish light of the fluorescent bulbs above me glinted off a tiny, wet, red circle. My brow furrowed and I watched as a second red drop hit the countertop. My hand reached up to my nose and I felt the liquid instantly. Looking up into the mirror, I tilted my head back slightly and saw the blood running under my nose. Quickly, I rushed to the paper towel dispenser hanging awkwardly on the wall and pulled two of the tough, brown paper sheets out and held them to my nose. I pulled out another sheet and went back to the sink where I dampened it with the water. For several minutes, I alternated between wiping my nose with the wet towel, then holding the dry towels up as more blood ran. I knew that the time Stefan and Damon had given me had already come and gone and I was slightly surprised that they hadn't busted in to find out what was taking me so long. I decided I should go tell them I needed a few more minutes to get control of the nose-bleed situation.

I stepped out into the bitter air and pulled my jacket around me tightly with my free hand. I took only a few steps before realizing neither Salvatore brother was sitting on the bench. I started to lower the paper towel from my face but instantly felt the blood run toward my lip, so I shoved the towel under my nose again. It wasn't the most comfortable way to move around, but I didn't seem to have much of a choice. I looked around me and took a few more steps away from the bathroom. Because of the paper towel, my words were nasally and muffled as I called out their names.

When no one answered me, an odd feeling hit the pit of my stomach. Neither Damon nor Stefan would have left me here alone, even if I had begged for a year. Something bad must've happened while I was in the bathroom. The hairs along my skin stood up as a breeze flowed past me, ruffling my hair uncomfortably. I tried their names again. "Stefan?...Damon?" This time I could hear the worry in my own voice.

In another part of my mind, I was thinking about how this was the perfect opportunity to get away. If neither man were here, there would be no one to stop me from running. My feet itched to start heading back to the opening of the trail while my heart tugged me the opposite way.

I stood completely still for several more minutes, half wishing someone would show up and tell me what was going on, half wishing no one would. When no one did, I decided that I would head back for the opening of the trail. If I didn't find Damon or Stefan there, I would continue on to my house.

Another thought stung uncomfortably in the back of my mind: What if they left you? What if they're finally giving you what you asked for? I bit down on my lower lip and mentally told the thought to go away.

The sun started to set and the forest around me grew darker and darker as I walked. Occasionally, the crunching of leaves off to my side would make jump and I would start to walk quicker. I was also starting to worry that I had taken a wrong turn somewhere along the trail; every time I would think I was getting closer to getting out of the park, I would turn the corner to find nothing but more trees. With the setting sun, the wind started to pick up and become much colder. My nose finally stopped bleeding after 20 minutes or so, but I had become extremely lightheaded and the mixture of cold air and fear did nothing to make me feel better. When the lightheadedness turned into disorienting dizziness, I sat down on a nearby bench and lowered my head between my knees.

Just as I was sure I was going to pass out, I heard my name being called and his voice instantly calmed me. Damon.

I quickly stood up and regretted it as I wobbled and fell forward onto my hands and knees, wincing as the crunchy leaves and tree branches dug into my palms. Two hands gripped my upper arms firmly and pulled me up.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, holding me at arms length so he could inspect me. There was obvious tenseness in his voice. My immediate thought was he was mad at me for leaving the bathroom area, but his eyes looked almost worried.

I nodded. "Yeah, just dizzy."

"Did she hurt you?" he asked, lowering his head until he was at eye level with me.

My brow furrowed. "Did who hurt me? And where were you guys, Damon?" I asked, feeling a bit angry that they had left me alone with no warning. "I kind of got scared," I admitted.

He dropped his head down and sighed deeply, then stood straight and pulled me against his chest. One of his arms wrapped around my shoulder while his other hand held the back of my head. "I thought she had done something. I mean, I saw the blood in the bathroom and I thought…I'm just glad you're okay," he rambled above me.

I was quickly becoming more confused. "I had a nosebleed," I said, explaining the blood. "When were you in the bathroom? I looked for you guys for everywhere."

His chest lifted and fell against my cheek as he took a few more deep breaths. Finally, he backed away and sat down on the bench, pulling me down onto his lap. At no time did he break contact with me.

I looked down at him and felt my heart picking up speed as I realized Stefan was still not here. "Damon, what's going on?" I asked slowly.

I listened in astonishment as he explained how they thought I had left the bathroom and they followed me farther into the park, only to discover it had been Katherine.

I looked down at the ground and thought back to when I was in the bathroom. When I had first gone in, I noticed I was the only one in the building and went straight to a stall. While I was inside, I heard the back door open, but I thought nothing of it. We had passed other joggers and bicyclers while walking. I heard the other person walk to a sink, turn on the water, grab some paper towels, and then they left out the front door. It was as simple as that. I never saw them and they didn't say anything. I told Damon as much.

With my new understanding of who it had been, my skin heated with anger. She had been _that close_ to me and I hadn't even known it. The girl that was successfully ripping apart my life had been separated from me by a metal stall door and I had no idea. I looked back at Damon. "I don't understand why she would just pretend to be me and not do anything else. The other times she pretended she was me she actually accomplished something. She took away my jobs. She got into my apartment. What was the point of this?"

"To let us know how easy it is," he said coldly. "She knows we're trying our best to protect you, and she just proved how simple it would be to get around us."

I started to push away from him to stand up, but he tightened his grip around my waist. I looked down at him. "Damon, I want to go home. I'm tired of this – all of this. I don't think I can handle it anymore."

One of his hands snaked up to cup the back of my neck and he pulled my face down until I was just an inch away. "Elena, I promise to not let anyone hurt you. You already know this." His gaze was intense and I could see the fire behind the crystal-like eyes. I knew he would at least try his best to keep that promise. He lifted up so that our lips met and I instantly melted against him. I was tired, I was cold, and I was scared. Right now all I needed was Damon to make me feel better.

* * *

Damon took me back to the Salvatore home and we discovered Stefan wasn't there. "Damon, what if Katherine did something to him?" I asked, walking to sit on the sofa in the living room.

He shook his head and sat down in the chair across from me. "She's not going to hurt him. If that was her plan, she'd already have done it."

I leaned back and rested my head against the soft fabric of the cushion. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, deciding not to worry about Stefan anymore. I was just too tired to worry about him. If Damon said he was okay, then I believed him and that was that. I just wanted a few minutes of rest where I could pretend I wasn't in danger. "Living this way is exhausting," I sighed after a few minutes of quiet.

"What way?"

I shrugged. "Living a life full of anger and fear." I felt the sofa jostle slightly beside me and knew he had moved from his spot in the chair. His arm went around my shoulder and he pulled me sideways until my head was resting in the crook of his neck. Softly, he began to run his fingers through my hair, loosening the tangles the wind had created. It felt nice to be held so I didn't protest.

"This won't last forever," he whispered above me.

I snorted in a very unlady-like manner. "It doesn't feel like it's going to stop anytime soon."

He kissed the top of my head. "Elena, everything will be fine, I promise. As I've said before, I won't let anything happen to you."

I opened my eyes and sat up, leaning away from him. "What happened to you, Damon?" I asked guardedly.

His brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"This," I started, indicating with my hand to him, "is not the Damon I first met. You're not this…this…" I searched for the word, "…_gentleman._ You're arrogant and chauvinistic, not to mention narcissistic. I don't understand how that could all change so quickly."

His devilish smirk appeared and he laughed. "Oh, I'm still arrogant, believe me." His eyes softened. "But I'm not the only one I think about anymore. You don't see yourself properly, Elena. You're incredible in every way. You're _exactly_ the type of girl that would get men who've lived for centuries all hot and bothered." His hand fell from my shoulder to my hip and in one swift move, he pulled me around so that my knees were on either side of his hips and I was looking down at him. His hands went around to rest at the small of my back.

I felt myself blush and I leaned back to sit on his lap, my legs still folded on either side of him. "How can you joke around like this when there's so much to worry about?" I asked quietly, looking down at my fidgeting fingers.

He shrugged and one of his fingers started to rub circles into my back. The motion sent chills up my spine. "When I'm with you, that's pretty much all that matters. I really don't care that Stefan is out there either running after or running from Katherine. And besides that, I told you he was fine and I'm positive about that. If I doubted it even in the slightest, I would probably go help him," he chuckled softly. He then lifted a hand to my face and waited until I made eye contact with him. "Elena, it's just me and just you. The outside world doesn't matter."

His hand on my face went around to the back of my head and he pulled me forward and sat up to kiss me. His lips were cool and comforting and just like earlier, I gave myself over to the near peaceful release I found there. Slowly, I opened my lips and let his tongue slide in. His hand that was still resting on my back gripped my hip and he pulled me forward while turning sideways until he was on his back on the couch with me lying on top of him. One of his hands became tangled in my hair and I felt the other slip just under the hem of my shirt to touch my skin on my lower back.

Although there was no way I was going to pull away from him, I couldn't shake off the feeling of awkward timeliness. Here we were making out on the sofa in his living room, like any normal couple – though we were _not_ a couple – while his brother, my ex-boyfriend, was out somewhere trying to protect _me_ from his ex-girlfriend. Damon and I had literally found each other in the park, come home, and started kissing without any real effort to actually find out if Stefan was okay. I didn't know if I should blame that on the fact that I was emotionally drained and not entirely sure what to do anymore or if, like Damon, I found myself with the one person that really mattered, Stefan be damned.

Damon's lips started to trail away from my own and began to explore the length of my jaw line and down my neck, then back up again. Occasionally he would stop and I would feel his lips part as he sucked in my skin and let his tongue massage the spot. I could feel a moan building at the base of my throat, aching to get out. My eyes were closed and lips parted as I panted quietly for more air, gently tilting my head back to give Damon more room. The sensation of his lips quickly made me forget about the awkwardness.

His hand on my back slid up and I felt the support of my bra give way as he unhooked it in one smooth motion – I really didn't want to think about how many bras it had taken for Damon to get that well accustomed to undoing them. His hand then moved back down and he broke contact with my neck momentarily as he pulled my jacket, shirt, and bra over my head at one time – a task not done entirely easily because of the bulkiness – then tossed them to the floor. I sat back and let him lift up slightly as I grabbed the material of his own shirt and pulled it off him.

Both of his hands grabbed my hips and he pulled me back down so that our bare chests were pressed together. His lips found mine again and I was surprised to feel how his kiss had gone from sweet to hungry and passionate. He took my lower lip in between his teeth and pulled back slightly, sucking it into his mouth. This time, my moan did break free and he smiled as he let my lip go. His hands moved down and hooked into the sides of my jeans, but he didn't immediately try to take them off.

The feel of his chiseled body beneath me was leaving me breathless and I had to take a moment to sit up and breath. As soon as I did, his lips wasted no time in trailing down to one of my nipples and latching on. This action caused the air to rush out of me again, not helping at all with my breathless problem. He moaned against my skin and the sound caused my head to drop back. I could feel my pulse hammering against my skin as my pounding heart tried to keep the flow of blood moving. Every nerve ending in my body was alive like a wire and just the simple touch of his thumbs on my sides gave me chills. He began to roll his tongue around the hardened peak and my hips instinctively bucked forward, successfully causing my center to rub against his erection that was straining against his jeans. He bit down once and sent another jolt through my body, causing my hips to move again in response.

His fingers slid to the front of my stomach and he began to unbutton my jeans. Quickly, he pushed my pants and panties down my thighs until they stopped at my bent knees. I started to climb off of him so that they could be taken off the rest of the way, but he caught my hips and held me still. I looked down and watched as his fingers traveled along my skin and dipped down in between my legs. When the tips of his fingers stroked along my wet center, I bit down on my lower lip and suppressed a moan. He looked up at me with his sexy smirk and moved forward to place a kiss on my stomach. When his fingers started coming back forward, I closed my eyes and waited to feel him touch the sensitive bundle of nerves. Suddenly he stopped and slipped a finger inside of me. The unexpected feeling made my jaw fall slack. I moaned his name and he slid in a second finger as his thumb went to my clit and started to gently manipulate it. My hips automatically rocked back and forth against his hand.

He groaned and I looked down at him. "Is…" – breath – "something…" – breath – "wrong?" I asked, trying to tear my attention from the heat growing in my abdomen.

He grinned and shook his head as he thrusted his fingers up and then pulled them back out. "You're so fucking beautiful, Elena," he said softly.

My skin warmed even more with his words and I found myself completely captivated by his gaze. Even when his fingers started to move faster below me and I felt the knot growing inside, I couldn't break my eye contact with him.

"Come for me, Elena," he whispered and the words made my breathing even more labored. I could see in his eyes how thoroughly he was enjoying watching me and I instantly felt like I would follow every command this man made, but something in the back of my mind told me that what we were doing was wrong, given the current circumstances, and I shouldn't enjoy this. "It's okay, love," he said softly, as if he was reading my mind. "Everything's okay."

His words calmed the biting thoughts and as he entered me one last time, I felt the knot explode to every portion of my body, sending me entirely over the edge. "Daaamon! Ungghh, Damon!" I moaned, throwing my head back and continuing to rock my hips against his fingers as I rode the waves. White spots filled my vision and heat lapped over me. He continued pumping and massaging and I felt the knot building back up for a second round.

Just as I was about to reach my second orgasm, the glass of a nearby mirror shattered into hundreds of pieces and rained down onto the carpet.

Damon didn't seem to notice or care and he continued his movements. I tried to stop and figure out what was going on, but he held me in place, knowing that I was too close to the orgasm to stop it. With a few more quick thrusts, the sparks lit up along my skin all over again and I bit down hard on my lower lip to keep quiet and balled my hands into tight fists. I bent over and buried my head in Damon's neck as the orgasm hit me, knowing in the back of my mind that someone was in the room with us.

As soon as the sensation started to fade away, I backed away from Damon into the corner of the couch as I tugged my jeans back up. I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, looking around frantically.

I spotted her across the room in the doorway leading from the living room to the front door. She, surprisingly, was wearing a cool smirk and her eyes were narrowed slightly with a coy glint in them.

My breath was escaping me jaggedly and I was finding it difficult to get it back as I took in how much she looked like me. I looked over at Damon and he was lying back against the arm of the couch leisurely, his eyes on me. "Hello, Katherine," he said coldly, not even bothering to look over at her.

"Hi, there, Damon," she responded with the same dismissive tone. I looked over at her. "Who's this?" She asked, eyeing me up and down. I felt extremely vulnerable half naked with this dangerous girl staring at me.

"Don't act stupid, Katherine," Damon chastised. I looked back to Damon, my mind screaming at him to do something, to help me. He nodded very slightly once and that simple act alone calmed me somewhat.

She chuckled. "Oh, I was just teasing, Damon. Of course I know who this is." My eyes went back to her. "Elena," she said, drawing out my name as if testing the sound of it on her tongue. She giggled again. "I must admit, Damon, the show you two just gave me has made me all… what did you say? Hot and bothered?" She took a few steps forward, swinging her hips side to side sinfully, her eyes locking with mine. "How about we do something to take care of that, Damon?"

* * *

**Authors Note:** Don't worry, don't worry, chapter 12 is almost finished. ;P

Guys, we officially passed 100 reviews during the last chapter and that made me incredibly happy! I heart you guys, like, a lot. Lol.

Speaking of reviews, please leave some for this chapter and let me know what you're thinking. I love reading the reviews you all leave. They're often extremely humorous.

This chapter also officially makes this the longest story I've written since my time joining fanfiction. Progress, people. :D

As always, thanks to my super awesome beta.

See you guys next chapter!

By the way, for updates about my stories and whatnot, follow me on twitter: APhobiac or read my blog: writingtoberemembered(dot)blogspot(dot)com


	12. Chapter 12

Katherine took another step forward and my eyes shot to Damon. He continued to sit, staring at me with a blasé expression. My chest tightened as crippling fear slammed into me: Damon wasn't going to do anything. I opened my mouth to say something to him, but the only sound that rode out on the breath was a pathetic squeak.

"Don't be frightened, Elena," Katherine cooed. I looked back at her. "Everything will be just fi–." Before she could finish her sentence a blurred black figure swept across the room, taking Katherine with it. The entire house shook and a crack formed along the wall as they slammed into it.

My breath was escaping me in jagged rounds as I looked to the wall. Stefan stood snarling at Katherine, his hands around her throat. She clawed at his clenched fingers. In an instant, Damon was by their side, grabbing Katherine's arms and forcing her still.

"Come on," Damon said through clenched teeth, struggling to maintain control of Katherine. I watched as the two men dragged Katherine to a door that I knew led to the basement. I had never been in the basement. Stefan assured me it was just filled with dust and "antique stuff" when I asked about it once, then he quickly changed the subject. I stood and grabbed the nearest piece of clothing – Damon's black t-shirt – and threw it on before running after them.

The stairs leading down were solid concrete and freezing against my bare feet. My nose filled with stale air and as I neared the bottom, I heard animalistic growls and screeches coming from the other end of the basement. My heart was pounding so loudly I could hear it in my own ears and it was almost painful forcing my legs to continue taking me toward them.

I finally touched the stony, pebbled floor and turned the corner. Damon and Stefan stood with their arms crossed in front of a large, metal door, looking through a barred window. Katherine stood with her hands gripping the bars like a cage and she was apparently kicking it because every few seconds she would scream and a loud thud would rattle the door.

Her eyes looked beyond the men and settled on me. I watched as a glare filled with so hatred it rose the hairs on my neck pierced through me. "You!" she screamed. She narrowed her eyes, her voice suddenly even and low. "I will kill you, Elena. I promise."

Both men spun around to face me. "What are you doing down here, Elena?" Damon asked quietly.

I looked down at the ground. Why had I come down here? I was so terrified of this girl that it probably would have been smarter to run out the door and get away while Stefan and Damon were occupied. But that thought never crossed my mind as I watched them enter the basement. My curious mind forced me forward. I wanted to meet her. I wanted to know what she wanted. I needed to know why she was doing this to me.

"I wanted to meet her," I whispered, being honest.

Damon snorted. "Now is probably not the best time."

I looked back up to Katherine and she tilted her head to the side. Her eyes were furious and crazed and it made me cringe inside. "No, let her come and meet me," she said to him.

Stefan shook his head and walked toward me. "Come on, Elena." He grabbed my upper arm with a little too much force and started marching me upstairs. I looked up at him, but he was looking straight ahead. I glanced back over my shoulder and both Katherine and Damon were watching me; Katherine with a curved sneer and Damon with a defined frown.

We stepped back into the living room and Stefan released me. "You can leave now," he said flatly, walking over to an antique liquor glass and pouring a drink.

My brow furrowed. "What?"

He downed the liquid and turned back to me. His stare was as cold as Katherine's and I unconsciously took a step back. "You've stated more than once how you've wanted to leave. Damon and I wouldn't let you because of Katherine. Well, she's here and you're free to leave."

I felt my heart ache as I took in Stefan's words and the underlying meaning behind them: Stefan wanted me to leave. I knew there was more to this than what he was saying. "Stefan, what's wrong?" I asked quietly.

A humorless chuckle escaped his lips and he poured himself another shot. "What a wonderful question," he replied.

My skin felt as if fire was traveling along it as he spoke. Stefan never addressed me in that sort of condescending tone. It was strange and almost heartbreaking. "I don't understand," I finally said softly.

He sat the glass down and turned toward me. "Don't you think it's funny that while I'm out trying to save your life, you're fucking my brother?"

I felt my eyes grow wide and my heartbeat falter. "Stefan, I-I didn't…I mean, I wasn't…" I stammered as my mind tried to form a coherent thought.

"I thought I could just ignore it," he said slowly, his eyes falling to the ground. "And I was doing a pretty damn good job. But tonight…" I saw the first flicker of pain reach his eyes, "I was out chasing Katherine. She led me here. I saw you…and Damon…and…"

My hand lifted to cover my mouth as I understood what he was saying. Tears formed along my waterline. Damon knew Stefan was there. "Stefan, I'm so…I'm sorry."

He just nodded once. "I know." He reached into his pocket and threw me a set of keys. I caught them just before they hit the ground. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing over as I looked down at them. "The cars out front," he said, keeping his eyes down.

My body trembled and I knew that my soft crying was about to turn into full-out sobbing. I clutched the keys so hard they stabbed my fingers and I took off running. I swung the door open and the night wind whipped my hair around my face. My feet barely touched the steps as I descended them and I ran to his car. Just as I was about to open the door, Damon stood in front of me.

"You don't have to go," he said quickly, placing his hands on my shoulders.

I looked up at him and anger radiated through me. "How could you do that, Damon?" I screamed, slamming my fist against his chest. "You knew he was there!"

He pressed his lips into a hard line and nodded.

"Ugh!" I screeched and shoved away from him. "Why didn't you stop? And how could you just stare at me while Katherine stood there? Do you know how scared I was, Damon? You didn't help me!"

He stepped forward and grabbed my face between his hands. "Listen," he said. I tried to pull away. "Elena, listen to me! I didn't get up and attack Katherine because it wouldn't have worked. She was staring right at us, she would have stopped me as soon as I got up. Yes, I knew Stefan was there and I knew he would stop her." He lowered his face to mine. "And the reason I didn't stop is because she has taken so much away from you. She has made you feel worse than you ever have. You needed to feel good for once. She needed to know she wasn't breaking you." He closed his eyes. "And I needed Stefan to know that I won."

I gritted my teeth and shook my head. "You haven't won anything, Damon," I spat. I pulled back and stepped around him, climbing into Stefan's car. I started the ignition and began down the drive. I didn't look back as my tires pulled onto the black concrete of the road.

* * *

"Elena. Elena, honey, wake up."

Two hands shook my body and I groaned. "What?"

"Come downstairs. I've made you dinner."

I opened my eyes and looked up at my Aunt Jenna with a small smile. "I'm not really hungry."

She laughed and shook her head. "There's no way you're not. Now come on." She turned around and headed out my bedroom door.

I sighed and rolled over onto my back, looking up at the ceiling. After I left the Salvatore's home, I stopped briefly at my apartment to switch from Stefan's car to my own, then drove all-night and part of the day to reach Mystical Falls. It was around noon when I finally pulled up in front of my child hood home. Jenna nearly had a heart attack when she opened the door and saw me. I'm sure I was a sight to be seen. Instead of asking questions, however, she wrapped her arms around me and held me for the longest time. Finally, I told her I needed to get some sleep and I went to my old bedroom.

Once I got inside, I stood in front of my floor length mirror and my heart dropped. I looked terrible – almost scary. My hair was tangled and frizzed out all over the place. Damon's black t-shirt hung around my petite frame like a sack and it was then that I realized just how much weight I had lost in the past weeks. My arms were too thin and when I bent my elbow, hardly any muscle could be seen moving, but bones jutted out everywhere. My feet were bare – the shoes still sitting in the Salvatore living room. My jeans had a tear in them from when I fell at the park and dirt covered the knees.

I looked up to my face and my chest tightened even more. My eyes were bloodshot and the skin around them was puffy from crying. Underneath my eyes, deep black circles caused my face to look sunken in. My cheekbones appeared too high and my lips were ashen and dry, pulled into a tight, thin line.

What had happened to me?

I walked and sat down on my bed, putting my head in my hands. At first, I was unhappy staying at the Salvatore home. It didn't feel safe to me. But I had gotten used to it, hadn't I? I had even started to believe that I really did feel something for at least one of the men and parts of me had wanted to stay. Hadn't they? The frailness of my body suggested otherwise.

The term Stockholm syndrome instantly came to mind. Was my case at all similar to that? Technically, "kidnapping" was not what one would normally think of my situation, but I had been forced to stay with Damon and Stefan. I had initially wanted to leave and I was angry with them for making me stay. Eventually, I started to understand that they just wanted to protect me and I began to love them because of it. I began to love Damon.

I choked back a sob as I realized my situation was textbook definition of the syndrome. I started to feel something for my captors. So much so that I began to believe that part of the reason I was there was because I _wanted_ to be there; I _needed_ to be protected by them. I had started telling myself there was nothing to fear anymore with them there. I had even started believing that vampires were not something to be scared of. They were no different than me.

My body had obviously not been convinced and I had internalized the situation. I realized in that moment that for the past few weeks, I had been slowly killing myself while acting like I was walking in a field of roses. How much longer would I have lasted if I had stayed?

I stood up and went to the drawer. When I had moved away for college, I hadn't taken a whole lot with me – mostly because my apartment was too small to do so. I quickly found a pair of old pajamas – a gray tank top and yellow shorts – and threw them on. I was surprised to find that even my high school clothes were now too big on me.

I took Damon's t-shirt, folded it, and started to sit it on top of the dresser. After hesitating for a few moments, I changed course and threw it in the wastebasket beside the dresser.

Today was a new day. Being back here in Mystic Falls with my family was just what I needed. I was going to stay here until I healed, until I found peace.

Pulling myself to the present, I remembered Aunt Jenna's request that I join her for dinner. I climbed out of the bed, stretched and yawned. I decided I really wasn't ready to change out of the pajama clothes and headed downstairs in them.

As I rounded the corner to the kitchen, my jaw fell slack and my knees wobbled. There was Jeremy. He rushed up to me and wrapped me into a tight hug. It had been so long since I had seen Jeremy. He had chosen a different college than me, one closer to home, and we lost contact after I moved away. I hadn't even realized how much I missed him. My brother had always meant the world to me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked in a raspy voice; my throat was achingly dry.

"Aunt Jenna called me. Told me you were home. So, here I am."

I smiled against his chest. _This_ was what being loved felt like. _This_ was what protective arms felt like. I'm sure the love and protectiveness I felt in Damon's arms were just as real, but it's all different when you're living a life full of fear under the roof of vampires. This house was just a home. Jeremy was just a normal boy, a normal brother. It was all different here.

"Thank you," I said softly as I pulled away from him.

He stepped back and held me at arms length, his eyes roaming over my fragile body. "What happened to you, Elena?" he asked quietly, his eyes meeting mine again.

I felt my face turn red and I shrugged stepping back so that his fingers fell from my shoulders. "You know," I said passively, "life and all that."

He frowned and crossed his arms, obviously decided to leave it alone for now.

Jenna called to us from the dining room and we went to join her. A smile lit up my face as I took in my favorite Italian meal spread out before me on the table – spaghetti, salad, and bread.

"I knew you'd like it," Jenna laughed and pulled out my chair before moving to her usual spot at the head of the table.

Jeremy sat down across the table from me and gave me a light smile before piling the food onto his place.

I sat down and felt my eyes start to water. _This_ was what happiness felt like.

Finally, after such a long time, I was safe and living a normal life; having dinner with my family in a wonderful home.

Everything was going to get better from this point.

I was sure of it.

* * *

**Authors Note:** Finally, a bit of peace for Elena. For a bit anyway.

Review and let me know what you're thinking so far!

Thanks to my awesome beta, tsukikomew, who got this read and fixed within, like, an hour.

If you're interested in getting updates on the story, follow me on twitter: APhobic or visit my blog writingtoberemembered(dot)blogspot(dot)com

See you guys next chapter!

P.S. If you're interest in another Delena fanfic that is super well written, and the chapters aren't long at all, go read _A Twist In Fate_ by MsMaeve18. I'm really enjoying it so far. :)

Ohhhh P.P.S (lol) Who is DYING after last weeks TVD episode? The close up on the tear. Oh my gosh. I cried the whole time.


	13. Chapter 13

I had been back home for nearly half a month – 17 days to be exact. Christmas was in a little over a week and I was excited about spending it with my family. It had been years since that was possible. I had spent most of my time back hanging out with Jenna and Jeremy. Occasionally I would watch TV or read, but mostly I did anything that would keep my mind off of things.

My hair gently lifted from my shoulders and then fell back down as I moved forward and back on our front porch swing. For it to be the middle of December, it was oddly warm. Not warm enough to not be bundled up in a long-sleeve t-shirt, thick pea-coat jacket, and blanket from inside, but warm enough that my nose and ears wouldn't become frost-bitten by sitting outside. I stared down at my iPod as my finger slid over the smooth surface of the rotating wheel, searching for a song to listen to.

Just as I thought I saw a song I would be interested in, Jenna walked out on the porch carrying the house phone.

"Hey, Elena, you have a call, honey," she said with a smile.

I furrowed my brow as I thought about who could be on the other end. No one was supposed to know I was here.

I attentively took the phone and brought it to my ear. "Hello?"

"Hi, is this Elena Gilbert speaking?" I was surprised to hear a female voice answer me. I had almost expected it to be… I shook my head slightly as if it would force me to refocus on the person that was on the phone.

"It is."

"Miss Gilbert, this is Samantha Gibbons. I am the owner of Listal Apartments."

"Oh," was my only response. Amongst all the chaos, I had completely forgotten to deal with matters involving my apartment.

"Yes ma'am, we just wanted to make sure that you were okay. A week ago our maintenance workers had to enter apartments in your building to manually shut off water valves for some plumbing work. I'm not sure if you're aware of this or not and I hate to be the one to tell you, but it seems your apartment has been broken into. There doesn't appear to have been obvious theft – items such as your television and entertainment equipment are still there – but everything has been destroyed. We tried contacting you through the cell phone number on file here, but it went to voicemail every time. We were then afraid something may have happened to you so we called the emergency number listed here which I believe is your aunts."

I knew I couldn't give her the real reason as to what happened to my apartment and I really didn't have the funds to pay for damages – especially since I was jobless – so I decided to fake surprise. "Really?" I gasped. "Everything's destroyed? This is the first time I've heard about this. After my classes let out this semester, I came home for the holidays."

"I'm very sorry, Miss Gilbert," she replied. "Would you like for us to file a police report?"

Although I knew there was no way they'd figure out who did it, I told her that I would appreciate it. "Is there anything else I need to take care of, Mrs. Gibbons? I probably won't be home for quite a while."

She was silent for a few moments before answering. "Miss Gilbert, because of the damages to the apartment, we're required to deem the apartment unlivable until repaired. We need you to remove whatever belongings you wish to keep out of the apartment by this weekend. Now, we know you signed a contract stating you would rent the apartment until July of next year, but should you choose to not take out a contract with another apartment here, we will not charge you a penalty fee for cancelling your rent agreement before your year is up."

I sighed and closed my eyes. I was thankful that I wouldn't have to keep paying for the apartment if I was actually going to be here in Mystic Falls and not in the apartment, but I really hadn't thought past today. Did I have plans to go back there? Would I be going to school in the spring? Would I need to book another apartment there?

Very quickly I decided that I wouldn't go back. I felt safe here in Mystic Falls. It was where I had been raised and when I thought about growing old here, it felt right. "Thank you, Mrs. Gibbons for giving me that option. I think I will pick up my things and just move out altogether. I'm thinking about moving back home anyway."

"Well, if you ever come back in the future, you know where to find us," she laughed. I laughed with her but not because she was funny but because the idea of going back to those apartments was preposterous. They were, for lack of a better word, crappy in every way. The outside of the apartments alone made it look like drug addicts inhabited the entire place. The heating and cooling systems never worked properly and I was blessed if I got a lukewarm shower. "When you gather your things, just stop by the front office to sign some final paperwork and turn in your keys. It was wonderful having you as a tenant, Miss Gilbert."

I rolled my eyes. This woman had no idea who I was. She was just the businesswoman who dealt with the finances. If the apartment hadn't needed repairs, she probably would have just left the whole thing alone, even if she thought something bad had happened to me. As long as she got her rent check at the end of every month. "Thank you, Mrs. Gibbons. I'll have everything taken care of in the next day or two." We said our goodbyes and hung up the phone. I sat it next to me and sighed.

"So, sounds like you're heading back?"

I jumped at the sound of his voice and turned around to look behind me. "Jeremy, don't sneak up on people," I scolded, taking deep breaths to calm my heart.

He laughed and jumped up on the porch, sitting beside me on the swing. His legs were much longer than mine and he pushed against the ground, sending the swing way back and leaving my legs dangling below me. Very quickly he released the tension and we flew forward. I couldn't help but laugh. Instantly I was reminded of my dad pushing me on our swing in the back yard the night Mom didn't want me going outside because it was almost bedtime.

"You're going to break the swing doing that, Jer," I said, trying to hide my amusement as the swing started to slow.

He shrugged and looked back at me. "So, you're going back?" he asked again.

I shook my head. "No. Well, I mean I am, but probably not in the way you're thinking. I'm going there then coming back…to stay."

He smiled and dragged his feet across the concrete to stop the swing. "So you're moving back here?"

"Well…yeah," I nodded, smiling at the thought. I was moving back home. I was going to be with my family. "I just have to go back to my apartment, which was apparently broken into, and get whatever items weren't destroyed."

"Wait," he frowned. "Your apartment was broken into? Why didn't you tell me?"

I picked up the phone. "I was just told myself."

He narrowed his eyes. "You don't seem too upset," he said suspiciously.

I shrugged. "Material things, Jeremy. I'm with you guys now and that's what really matters."

I could tell he wasn't entirely convinced and we sat in silence for several minutes before he spoke up. "Elena, what happened to you?" he asked softly.

"What do you mean?" I asked with a light smile, hoping desperately that he'd drop it.

"I mean before you came back home. Something happened to you out there, didn't it? You don't even have to say yes or no because I know it did. I saw you that night you came home. You looked awful, no offense. I mean…you kind of looked like you were dying." I watched his eyes soften as he talked. He was really saddened by the thought of me not being okay.

I gave him another smile and a hug. "Jeremy, I'm okay."

He hugged me back before releasing me. "I know you are _now_," he responded. "But you weren't."

I looked down at the ground to avoid his eyes. I didn't want Jeremy to know what happened before I came home. I didn't want him or anyone else getting involved with that situation. It was better just left alone. That's what I was trying my hardest to do.

"Was it a guy?" he asked quietly.

My eyes shot back to his. "No," I snapped.

He narrowed his eyes. I had answered too quickly. He knew I was lying. "It was," he said, nodding slightly to himself. "Did he hurt you, Elena?"

I could see the anger starting to rise in his eyes. "What? No, of course not, Jer. Just leave it alone."

He stood up and started walking away from me, then quickly turned back around. "Elena, I don't know if I can just _leave it alone_. I keep seeing your face the night you came home in my head," he paced as his frustration built. "Your eyes were all sunken in and you were so pale. I have this... I don't know, _feeling_ that something bad happened to you and whatever it was is coming back."

I shook my head. No one knew where I was. "No, Jer, nothing's gonna' hap–"

"Elena, you can keep saying everything's fine," he interrupted me. "But it's not. And now that I know it was some guy…" he walked over to me and dropped down on his knees in front of me. "Elena, will he try to find you?"

I furrowed my brow and shook my head slowly. Would they try to find me? After _he_ had told me to leave and I had it out with…the other _him_, I hadn't heard a word from either since. I just assumed that was the end of it. Was I foolish in thinking I could get off that easily?

"You think he might, don't you?" Jeremy asked me.

"I…" I searched for an answer, "I really don't know, Jeremy."

He stood back up. "Elena, I swear I'll kill him if he shows up. I'm not going to let him hurt you again."

I sighed. I didn't want Jeremy to be angry over this. There was no point in him even worrying about it because, one, I really didn't think either Salvatore brother would be showing up any time soon and, two, even if they did, Jeremy couldn't fight them.

"Jeremy, nothing's going to happen." I sat the house phone down on the swing and stood up, walking over to him. "Really, listen to me. Whatever happened to me before I came here is in the past. Don't you see how much better I am already?" It was true and he had to notice it. I looked healthy again and for the most part, I was happy. "I've moved on. I don't want to bring up all the stuff from back then because it's just not worth it."

"Would you take him back?" he asked suddenly.

I took a step back. "What? What kind of question is that?"

"Would you? If he showed up right now."

"No, Jeremy, I wouldn't," I answered; surprised he would even worry about that.

He stared at me for a few moments before sighing. "Okay. Fine. If you say everything's okay, then I believe you."

I smiled and went back to pick up the phone. "Good. Now let's go see what Jenna's cooking," I laughed, turning to go back in the house.

He stopped me before I could enter. "One more thing. Can I go with you to get your stuff?"

"You don't have to do that Jeremy. By the way she was talking, there's not a whole lot left for me to get. I'm sure I can handle it."

He sighed. "Elena, please. I'm not concerned about your stuff. I'm concerned about you going back to that place alone. If I don't go with you, I'm just going to sit back here and worry the entire time about my big sister."

I worried my lower lip with my teeth as I thought about his request. Finally, I gave up and nodded. "Fine, you can go with me. We're just running to the apartment, getting the stuff, then coming back. Okay?"

He smiled and answered with "Okay" before entering the house himself.

It was times like these I was most thankful for Jeremy. He always had my back and was always looking out for me. Even though he was younger than me, he was my protector in a way. They always say blood is thicker than water.

* * *

We arrived at the Listal apartments just as the sun was starting to set the next day. I walked up to the door and noticed that the lock was still broken from where…_he _had kicked it in. Of course the complex wouldn't even replace it to protect what was left of my belongings.

I pushed it open and it squeaked as it moved. Cautiously, I stepped inside and reached for the light switch. I flicked it to the on position once. Then twice. Then again. No light. Of course the complex wouldn't replace the broken light bulbs.

I turned to Jeremy. "Do you have a flashlight?" We had brought Jeremy's truck just in case there was anything large I could salvage.

"Yeah, hold on a minute." He ran back to his truck and rummaged through a toolbox for a moment before coming back with a large, heavy-duty, yellow flashlight. He clicked it on and a powerful, white beam of light spilled into the room. Jeremy moved it over the debris and I heard him inhale deeply.

"Elena, what the hell happened here?"

I bit my lower lip and looked around. I was sure the place looked much more ruined and creepy because the flashlight was the only source of illumination, creating dark shadows as it reflected off of things, but even I had to admit the place was kind of scary by itself due to the wreckage.

"They said it was broken into," I answered mechanically.

I saw him glance over at me before shaking his head. "So what is it we can take away from here?"

We started in the back bedroom where things were less destroyed than in the living room. I was able to take out a good portion of my clothes, jewelry, and shoes. The bed was left untouched, but it was uncomfortable anyway so I told Jeremy to leave it. We took out one side table that had belonged to my grandmother. It was scratched and a little dinged up, but Jeremy said he could probably fix it. I dug through shattered glass to get all of the pictures of my parents out of their frames and put them in the side table to be taken out. When we finished getting a few other small odds and ends out of that room, we moved to the living room.

By that time the sun outside was completely gone and Jeremy had to turn on the headlights of his truck and shine them straight through the windows and door to light up the living room. We sifted through the mess for an hour before deciding nothing in that room could be saved. I told Jeremy not to bother with the bathroom or kitchen; there was nothing in either room I preferred to keep.

Overall, the entire rescue mission of my personal items took two and a half hours. Because my arrival time was set to be so late, my landlord left the papers I needed to sign right inside the living room with a note indicating to slip them through the slot in the front office door after signing the marked x's.

I sat in the truck with Jeremy as I signed everything. I looked over at him. "Okay, I just need to take these to the office and then we're ready to go," I smiled.

He nodded and started the truck as I jumped out. I walked around the corner of the building to where the central office was located. I slid the papers through the slot and smiled to myself. This was it. I could finally move back to Mystic Falls and not have to worry about anything back here. My apartment was taken care of and I had my stuff loaded in the truck. Things were looking up.

I turned around and my heart nearly exploded as I ran into him.

"Hello, Elena," he said with his arrogant smirk plastered on his face.

My breathing was so uneven that I could even take a moment to answer him. I rested my hand over my heart and tried to calm down.

He laughed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

I just stared wide-eyed at him for a few more moments before shaking my head and stepping around him. This was not happening. I was moving on. I was moving away. My brother was waiting for me in the truck and we were leaving.

I had only made it a few steps before he was in front of me again.

I glared up at him. "What do you want, Damon?" I spat.

His smirk faded and he furrowed his brow. "To talk to you."

"How did you know I was here?"

"I check every day to see if you're back," he answered honestly. "Today I saw the truck and the door open, so I figured it had to be you. I waited until you walked out to make sure."

I looked down at the ground and shook my head. "I'm sorry, Damon, but I don't have time to talk to you." I stepped forward to walk around him again but he lightly grabbed my shoulder to stop me.

"Please, just listen to me for a moment."

"No, Damon," I said firmly and tried to shake off his hand.

"Elena, I will follow you back to Mystic Falls if you don't listen to me here."

My eyes shot up to him and I gasped. "What?" How did he know I had been in Mystic Falls?

His eyes softened for a moment. "Elena, I've known where you've been since you left. I just figured you needed some space; some time to collect yourself. That's why I haven't tried contacting you. I know everything we went through with Katherine was difficult for you to process. I knew you needed some time to get better." His eyes roamed over me quickly. "And you do, by the way…look better, I mean. I could see how things were starting to get to you around the end there. You didn't look healthy."

I cringed as his words brought everything back. I had been trying desperately to forget about everything that happened here. Now it was all in my face again and I couldn't ignore it. "Where is Katherine, Damon?"

He looked away from me. "She got away."

I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth, anger building inside of me. "What?"

He sighed. "She got away," he repeated. "Katherine's strong, Elena. We shouldn't have expected that cell to hold her forever."

I looked back up at him. "So you don't know where she is?" I asked through clenched teeth, my stomach starting to twist into a knot.

He shook his head and instantly my body reacted as I threw all of my weight into slapping him across the face.

His head didn't even turn and I knew the slap didn't hurt him, but it felt good to get that out.

As soon as my anger was released with that hit, the weight of the situation came crashing down on me and I doubled over, tears pouring over my lower lashes. Damon wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to his chest, keeping me standing.

"You were supposed to protect me!" I yelled. "This is why we went through all of this, right? You kept me locked up to protect me from her, to catch her, and then she just gets away? How could you let that happen, Damon?" My words were coming out through broken sobs and I would be surprised if he could actually understand what I was saying. "We're all in danger now, Damon! My Aunt Jenna and Jeremy and…"

"Shhh, shhh, Elena," he cooed as he ran his hand through my hair repeatedly, my cheek pressed against his chest. "No one is in danger. We don't think Katherine is after you anymore."

I pushed away from him. "Why do you say that?"

"Because she told us the reason she was here was to get us back. She only did all of that stuff to you to get you to go away, and you did. She's not after you anymore."

I shook my head. "You don't know that, Damon." I said, frantically wiping at my tears. My chest was throbbing with a painful ache. "She could come back for me and all of the people I care about. You were supposed to be protecting me. Right?"

He looked at the ground. "I'm sorry."

"I don't accept."

He lifted his eyes back to mine. "Elena, the reason I came here was not to scare you and let you know about Katherine. I came here to tell you that I still love you."

My breath caught in my throat and I unconsciously took a step back.

"I never wanted you to leave," he continued, "but I knew you needed to. I've just been waiting for you to come back."

"I'm not staying, Damon," I said slowly. "I'm moving back home."

A pained expression crossed his face briefly. "I'll follow you, then," he replied softly. "Mystic Falls is my home, too."

My brow furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"Remember…I told you that night at Le Feu de Nuit. Stefan and I are from Mystic Falls. And ironically enough, your ancestors are some of the original vampire hunters."

Had he told me all of this that night? It seemed like so long ago, barely a wispy memory. The only real thing I remember about that night was how we had been together for the first time.

I shook my head. "I don't remember you saying that."

"Well, I did," he nodded. "And if that's where you want to be, I'll go back, too."

"You can't, Damon," I sighed, running a hand over my face and through my hair. "What about everything you have here? What about your night clubs and the businesses you run?"

"I already sold them all," he said matter-of-factly.

"What?" This was all starting to become overwhelming. I had been out of the loop for so long that this was all too much information in too short a time.

"The day Katherine ruined your place, I sold it all. I knew right then that I would spend the rest of however long it took protecting you. The only thing I kept was my car. Those businesses were just hobbies anyway. When you live forever, you end up doing things just to take up time."

I stared at him incredulously. How had I not known this? He had given up his entire life for me. "What about Stefan? And his art business?"

Damon's lips pressed into a hard line for a moment. "Apparently he did the same. Got rid of it all. I mean, in all honesty his job wasn't difficult. Do you know how old we are? Stefan was so good at appraising the art because he was around when it was made. He never really did the job for money, he's just always been a sentimental sap who was into art."

Damon belittling Stefan's job didn't alleviate the guilt I felt for either man. Both of them had given up things, no matter how small of things, for me. They had wanted to dedicate their time to protecting me.

And how had I repaid Stefan for that? I cheated on him with his brother and then eventually chose his brother over him.

And how had I repaid Damon? By running away from him.

Had I even said "thank you" to either of them?

The thoughts brought more tears to my eyes. "Where is Stefan now, Damon?" I was almost afraid to ask.

His eyes fell to the ground and he sighed again. "Searching for Katherine."

It felt like my heart was being squeezed in my chest. "Why?" I asked barely above a whisper.

"Because he's afraid she'll go after you again."

I felt my knees shake. Stefan was still trying to protect me. Even after everything I had done to him and everything he said to me, he was still trying to take care of me. "I have to go," I tried to say, but the air rushed out of my lungs and I barely mouthed the words.

Damon grabbed my shoulders and made me look him in the eyes. "Please, Elena," he begged. "Don't walk away from me."

My head was starting to pound and I suddenly felt liquid running above my upper lip. I watched Damon's eyes glance toward the spot and momentarily his vampire features appeared on his face before he forced them away. I knew my nose was bleeding. "I want to go home," I whispered.

Before I could say anything else, Damon pressed his lips forcefully against mine. Instantly, I melted against him and kissed back. He wrapped his arms around my back and pulled me tight. "Elena, please," he mumbled against my lips, his breath escaping him roughly. "Please, don't walk away. I love you." He pulled back for just a moment to look into my eyes. "I love you so much, Elena," he whispered, returning his mouth to mine.

I suddenly had no idea what was going on. My heart was beating loud enough for my own ears to hear it and I was feeling weak all over. All of the heat in my body pooled around my lips and the only will I had was to keep kissing him.

I had missed him.

"Hey, you!"

Jeremy's voice echoed between the buildings and we both spun to look at him. He had a hollow aluminum bat in his hand and fury in his eyes.

"Get away from my sister, you fucker!" he yelled.

I was surprised to hear Jeremy talk like that. He had never cursed around me before. I pulled myself away from the thought and stepped forward. "Jeremy, no," I said firmly. "Put down the bat." If Jeremy attempted to get into a fight with Damon, things could end up very, very badly.

He looked at me. "Elena, is this him?"

I remained silent and Jeremy looked back at Damon.

"Listen to me very closely, you asshole," Jeremy started slowly. "Either leave Elena alone, or I will kill you. Do you understand me?"

Damon looked between Jeremy and me before a smile spread across his face and he laughed. "Seriously, Elena?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. Jeremy was just trying to protect me, no need to mock him.

I looked back at Jeremy and saw the muscles in his arms flex. Before I could tell him everything was okay, he swung the bat and connected with Damon's head.

Damon remained completely still as the bat bent around his head. Jeremy dropped the bat and stared down at it, his eyes wide. "What the hell?" he whispered to himself.

I watched as something clicked in Damon's eyes and all of the softness disappear. "That was a mistake," Damon said coldly before hitting Jeremy square in the chest and sending him flying back.

I screamed Jeremy's name as he hit the wall, pieces of brick crumbling around him. He landed on the ground with a bone-crunching thud.

I ran over to him, tears already escaping my eyes. I fell to the ground and pulled him to my chest, bending down to try to hear his heartbeat. Relief washed through me when I finally heard the sound and saw his shallow breathing. "Jeremy, are you okay?" I asked through my tears. His eyes remained closed; he was unconscious.

I looked back to Damon. "Why would you do that?" I screamed.

He stared at me for a moment before I saw the transformation again and the softness returned. "Elena…" he looked down at Jeremy. "I'm so…I'm sorry."

"Give me your cell phone," I said, trying to gain my composure and take control of the situation to help Jeremy. He did as I said and I called for an ambulance. When we disconnected, I threw the phone back at Damon.

"I can run him to the hospital, Elena," Damon said softly. "It'll be quicker than the ambulance."

I looked up at him. "I hate you, Damon," I said flatly, beginning to feel my body turning numb. "I just want you to leave."

His brow pulled together. "Elena…I really am sorry."

"It doesn't matter," I replied, shaking my head. "I need to protect my family now and having you around doesn't enable me to do that."

I could hear the sirens in the background.

"You need to leave," I said with finality.

He stared at me for several more seconds and I almost broke as I saw a single tear slide down his cheek.

Just as the flashing red lights rounded the corner, Damon disappeared.

* * *

**Authors Note:** Darn that Damon. :|

Lol.

Review and let me know what you think of this chapter.

Aaand if you noticed all the "going back _there_"s without naming where "there" actually was, that was done entirely on purpose. I have no idea where they are. I have no idea where her school is. I just know it's a days drive from Mystic Falls. :) When I started the story, where she was really didn't matter much to me or to the story. They end up in Mystic Falls anyway.

Review and let me know what you think of the new developments.

See you next chapter. :D


	14. Chapter 14

I pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and index finger as the beeping of Jeremy's heart monitor echoed in my mind. I had a migraine and everything was making it worse – the lights, the dripping of the IV bag, the nurses' footsteps outside the door.

I had gotten this ridiculous headache as soon as Jeremy had been loaded into the back of the ambulance. I think it might be the way my body has chosen to react to the recent events; giving me a headache so bad I couldn't possibly think of anything else.

My phone call to Jenna had been quick and to the point. I told her Jeremy had been hurt and was in the hospital. The doctors said he had a broken rib and leg, but no internal bleeding. They were a little worried about head injuries, but they wouldn't really have much information about that until Jeremy finally woke up. Jenna told me she was on her way and we got off the phone.

I told the hospital that Jeremy had been "jumped" by some guys hanging around my neighborhood. It wasn't a stretch, really; I didn't live in that decent of an area. They didn't question me further about it and for that I was thankful.

The nurse walked into Jeremy's room and gave me a sympathetic smile. She had given me that smile every single time she had come to check on Jeremy. I wanted to punch her at this point.

I sighed and closed my eyes. It was just the migraine making me so hostile.

"How are you doing this morning, dear?" she asked me sweetly as she adjusted Jeremy's IV.

"I have a migraine," I answered bluntly.

"Awe, I'm sorry to hear that. Would you like me to go get you some medicine?"

_God, yes._ I nodded. "I would like that, thank you."

I listened to her soft-soled tennis shoes squeak against the overly-mopped marble flooring as she walked away.

Sooner than expected, I heard footsteps coming back into the room, but the sound of the steps on the floor had changed. These steps sounded like they were coming from boots instead of tennis shoes.

I opened my eyes and gasped, my heart stalling in my chest.

"Hi," Stefan said quietly, glancing over at Jeremy.

I stood up, crossing my arms over my chest; instant defensive position. "What are you doing here, Stefan?"

He looked down to the floor and I didn't miss the sadness that washed over his eyes. "We need to talk, Elena."

The nurse walked in through the door and stopped short when she saw Stefan and the expression on my face. "Um…sir, visiting hours are –"

"I know," he interrupted her. He took a step forward to look into her eyes. "But you're going to make an exception just this once. Right?"

I bit down on my lower lip. I knew Damon was keen on using his compelling powers, but I never thought Stefan would be so quick to use them. It made me nervous; I hadn't taken vervain in weeks.

Slowly, she nodded. "Yes. An exception." He smiled softly at her then backed away. She shook her head once then turned to me. "Your medicine, dear. This should help you feel better in no time."

I took the small plastic cup that held two pills and nodded. "Thank you."

The nurse turned around and left without another word and I looked back to Stefan. "This is really not the best time for me to have a talk."

He sighed. "Elena, we have to."

I narrowed my eyes. "What if I don't want to?"

He ran a hand over his face with a groan. "Then I guess I can't make you," he replied. He dropped his hand and looked over at me. My knees felt weak as soon as I saw how brightly his green eyes were shining. "But I hope you take the medicine then join me in the room next door. It's quiet and we won't be interrupted. I'll be waiting." His eyes lingered on me for several more seconds before he finally turned and left.

Instantly, I dropped back in my chair. Everything around me felt so disconnected; even my brief conversation with Stefan. It was as if my body was here, but it really wasn't me.

I knew Damon was to blame. After he hurt Jeremy, I felt everything about myself shut down. Mentally, I was numb.

I tilted the small cup side to side twice and watched the pills roll haphazardly. That's what my life felt like right now. Like my life was someone's cup, I was the pill, and they were tipping everything back and forth; making me dizzy and befuddled.

And maybe nothing would settle back into place. Maybe my life was destined to be chaotic and I wasn't supposed to settle into happiness for too long. Maybe it would go on like this forever. Of course, until I died.

In one swift motion, I brought the cup to my lips, threw my head back, and swallowed both of the pills. With a deep breath, I stood, threw the cup into the trashcan and went to talk to Stefan.

He was sitting on an empty hospital bed, his hands in his lap, his head hanging low. The blinds were down and the curtains were closed; the only light in the room coming from a small lap hanging on the wall. When he heard me entering, he looked up and a small smile formed on his lips.

I shut the door behind me and leaned against it, preparing to leave if need be.

"What did you want to talk to me about, Stefan?" I asked, not wanting to take any time beating around the bush.

He lifted a hand and motioned to a blocky, navy-blue cushioned chair in the corner. "Will you sit?"

I shook my head. "No."

He sighed. "Okay, then." He stood up and walked over to me, stopping about three feet away. "I need to apologize to you." I automatically pulled my lower lip in between my teeth, feeling my nerves being rattled. "Those things I said to you the day you left were wrong to say."

"They were true, though," I interjected.

"Nevertheless, they were wrong of me to say," he repeated. "You're a grown woman and we were no longer dating. If you wanted to have…a relationship with Damon, then that was your right. I shouldn't have treated you unkindly for it."

I shrugged. "It's good that you did, I guess. It got me away from here."

"Elena, I wish you didn't feel that way." He reached forward and took my hand. "I miss you."

Slowly, I pulled my hand back out of his and felt myself shrink against the door. "Stefan…I'm sorry. I don't feel that way about you anymore."

He nodded to himself and slowly walked back to the bed. "Because you feel that way about Damon."

"No," I responded quickly. I didn't even need to think about it anymore. Whatever I once felt for Damon was gone; as soon as he touched my brother, he was dead to me. "I don't feel that way about Damon, either. You saw what he did to Jeremy, Stefan. How could I feel anything for a monster like that?"

"Maybe you should reconsider that," he said, surprising me. "It isn't all Damon's fault."

My brow furrowed. "What do you mean isn't his fault? He did this to Jeremy. No one else."

He looked up at me. "I know, I'm not saying he didn't. But what you need to understand is that Damon hasn't been doing this for very long. This whole good vampire thing. When an attacker advances on a vampire, something clicks inside of us and we fight back automatically. It takes a lot of skill and determination not to."

I rolled my eyes. "Am I supposed to forgive him because of that?"

"Maybe eventually."

I stared at him completely dumbfounded. "I'm confused, Stefan. Do you want me to be with your brother or not?"

He chuckled. "No, I don't want you to be with Damon for my own selfish reasons. Do I want you to be happy? Yes. Would being with Damon make you happy? I'm assuming so. So, I'm willing to ignore my selfish side."

I watched him for several more moments before pushing off the door and walking across the room to him. "Why do you always do this, Stefan? You keep trying to protect me, help me, comfort me, when I absolutely don't deserve it from you."

"It's called love, Elena," he stated matter-of-factly with a small shrug.

I dropped down into the chair he had motioned to earlier and just stared at him.

Why couldn't Stefan be the one I was in love with? Besides lying to me about being a vampire, he hadn't really ever done anything wrong to me. He had gone out of his way to protect me at every possible moment. So why was I…had I fallen for his brother?

But I did love Stefan, I realized slowly. Just not the way he loved me. Not the way I…loved Damon.

I closed my eyes and tilted my head back. "Stefan, I really don't know what to say," I said quietly.

"I know," he said. "And I didn't come here expecting you to say that you love me back. I just needed you to know these things."

I nodded and looked back to him, deciding to change the subject. "How did you know we were here?"

"Damon."

I furrowed my brow, remembering what Damon had told me last night. "Did you catch Katherine? I thought you were looking for her?"

He looked to the floor and I watched an expression of…shame? cross his features. "I haven't found her yet," he admitted.

I rolled my eyes. "And it begins again," I muttered. "You know, this is another reason I couldn't be with Damon, Stefan. He claims he's protecting me, yet he doesn't even consider the possibility that that homemade jail cell would be too weak to keep Katherine locked up."

"What?" Stefan countered quickly, his brow pulling together in confusion.

"Yeah, I mean, I probably could have told him it wouldn't hold her for long."

Abruptly, Stefan let out a small chuckle and shook his head. "Damon really knows how to surprise you," he said to himself.

Now it was my turn to be confused. "What?"

Stefan sighed and looked back to the floor. "Katherine didn't just escape. That cell is built specifically for vampires. It would have held her for centuries."

"But Damon told me…why did he tell me that, then?"

"I let her out," he said quietly.

I sat up a little more straight. "What?"

He nodded slightly. "She, being the amazing liar she is, convinced me that she wanted to be with me and that's the only reason she had come back. And I was still…upset about what happened between you and I. Anyway, I listened to her, let her get in my head, and I let her out. Before I realized what was happening, she was gone."

I stared at him, my mouth hanging open. Stefan had just _let_ her out? How could he do that? He had to have known she was being deceitful.

"I still don't understand why Damon lied to me, then," I told him.

"Damon knew how ashamed I was about what happened, Elena. I had put you and your family back into harms way because I was careless. Damon was trying to cover for me. He didn't want you to think badly of me." He looked back down and laughed again. "He was being my brother."

Why was this happening? Just when I was sure I hated Damon, small things showed up that proved to me he wasn't all that bad; that maybe one day I could have a decent relationship with him.

No. There was no way I could have anything with Damon. The proof of that was lying in a hospital bed in the next room.

I stood up. "Well, Stefan, I need to be getting back to Jeremy." I suddenly felt an urgency to get away from Stefan and this conversation. I'm sure it was bound to take me down an emotional road I wasn't ready to face.

Just as I started to move, Jeremy's scream broke through the wall and I turned to look at Stefan, my eyes wide.

Stefan was out the door much more quickly than I was and when I rounded the corner, Stefan was gently pushing Jeremy back down in the bed, his hands on his shoulders.

I rushed over to them. "Jeremy what's wrong?" I maneuvered myself so that I came between Stefan and Jeremy, Stefan's' arms on either side of my shoulders, still pressing Jeremy down.

He looked up at me and the sheer terror in his eyes nearly made me cry. "What was he, Elena?" he asked, his hands turning white as he gripped Stefan's forearms.

I looked over my shoulder at Stefan, not sure how to answer that question for my brother.

"I can make him forget," Stefan whispered to me, his eyes troubled.

I nodded and moved out of the way without even bothering to think about it. I didn't want Jeremy to be introduced to this world. I didn't want him to worry about me as I ran around with vampires.

I watched as Stefan bent over Jeremy, coming face to face with him. Jeremy shot one quick glance to me before looking at Stefan.

"You were attacked," Stefan began and Jeremy nodded, his face immediately falling into a blank stare. "Elena went to turn in her apartment papers when you noticed a group of young men following her. You confronted them. You protected her. You saved her."

Jeremy repeated his words and a new wave of guilt washed over me. I was messing with my brothers' mind now. I was as bad as Stefan and Damon.

"You should sleep some more. You're tired from the attack and have some injuries," Stefan said.

Jeremy nodded again, settled back into his pillows, and quickly drifted off to sleep.

Stefan stood and turned back to me. "He'll remember only what I told him when he wakes back up."

I felt the first sign of tears prickle at my lower lashes. Jeremy was here because of me. As the first tear rolled down my cheek, Stefan was instantly in front of me. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me tight against his chest.

"Hey, it's okay, Elena," he said softly into my hair.

I just nodded and let him hold me as the tears I couldn't stop poured. Everything had started to get better when I was in Mystic Falls. I came back for one night and it all went to hell. I should've just said screw the stuff in my apartment and let them throw it all away. Nothing in that apartment was worth all this. My family didn't deserve to be hurt because I fell in love with a boy; a vampire.

A vampire that even though I was so angry with for hurting Jeremy, I still loved down to my bones. Damon and I were not right for each other. We were entirely different in every way and I don't know that I could ever just accept what he is….But we were destined to be together. As awful as it may be, Damon was damned and I was his curse. Better yet, maybe I was damned and he was my curse. We could separate ourselves, but we both felt the ache from the distance.

Being in Stefan's arms right then made me realize all of this. It felt nice to be in Stefan's arms, but I couldn't help to think about how Damon's arms felt even better. I wondered where he was.

Several minutes passed before I finally stopped crying. I gave Stefan a hug and took a step back, wiping at my nose with my sleeve. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

He shook his head. "Don't apologize, Elena. I saw all of this building up the minute I came into the room earlier. You're not capable of going without emotions for too long." He smiled softly at me.

I rolled my eyes and muttered "Geeze, thanks."

He laughed and hugged me again. "Well, I've got to get back out there and find our escapee. Who knows how long that'll take." He kissed the top of my head. "It was really good seeing you, Elena."

He stepped away and I smiled up at him. "You, too, Stefan."

As he walked away, I felt a small tug in my chest. I would always care about Stefan.

Part of my heart would always belong to him.

* * *

"Merry Christmas!" Jenna yelled, jumping onto my bed like a child.

I laughed and rolled over, bringing my pillow onto my face. "It's too early, Aunt Jenna," I whined, trying not to let her see my smile.

She jerked the pillow away from me and tossed it across the room. She stood over me with a finger pointed in my direction, a very serious look on her face. "It is _never_ too early for Christmas," she said sternly, and then a small smile broke through on her lips and she started laughing.

I sat up and shook my head. "That's what you think," I mumbled.

"Come on! Come on!" she said as she grabbed my hand and pulled me from the bed.

Together we walked down the stairs and I smiled as I spotted Jeremy. He had been sleeping on the couch ever since he came home from the hospital – he wasn't able to climb the stairs just yet.

"Merry Christmas," he said with a grin.

"Merry Christmas to you, too," I replied, plopping down beside him on the couch and stealing his covers to wrap around myself.

Jenna sat cross-legged by the tree and stared at us, her face bright and giddy.

"Are you waiting for permission?" I teased.

She rolled her eyes. "No," she answered, drawing out the word. "I'm just waiting until you guys are ready."

I looked at Jeremy. "Ready?"

"Ready," he responded and Jenna squealed as she started pulling presents from under the tree.

Of course she pulled out all of Jeremy's and mine first. She would never be excited for Christmas for selfish reasons; she loved making others happy. She stacked Jeremy's presents beside him on the couch and she left mine in a pile at my feet. She sat back down by the pile of her presents at the tree.

"So who goes first?" she asked. It was a tradition in our little family. We opened presents one at a time and went clockwise until they were all opened.

I looked at Jeremy. "Go ahead, Jer."

He smiled and picked up the first wrapped box. When he got the wrapping paper off, his face lit up when he saw the picture of the speaker stereo dock for an iPod on the outside of the box. I remembered him saying in passing it would be nice to have one. He gave me a huge hug and started removing it from the packaging immediately.

Jenna was next and she unwrapped a present from Jeremy. It was a beautiful bracelet dripping with emeralds. She was ecstatic, of course. Honestly, it could have been a piece of paper with a drawing from him and she would have been just as happy.

It was then my turn to open my gift. I lifted a box about the size of my hand, decorated with bright yellow wrapping paper and a sparkling silver bow; it was definitely from Jenna. I pulled the loose end of the bow until it slid apart and then carefully pulled up the edges of the wrapping paper; I had always been like that, meticulous and tidy in the way I unwrapped. When the wrapping paper was removed with no tears and folded like an article of clothing, I opened the brown box. Inside was a dark blue electronic device. I picked it up and smiled – a smart phone.

"I remember how you said yours had been broken back at your old place," Jenna told me.

Her words sparked images in my mind I had long forgotten – Damon scaring me that first night and me dropping my cell phone. How we had gone back to his club. How we had…

I shook my head as if to scatter the memories. "Thank you, Aunt Jenna," I smiled at her. "This is great." I looked back down at the gadget. "It's going to take me forever to learn how to use, though," I laughed.

We went on like that for the next half hour. Jeremy opened a gift, then Jenna, then me. We each had 10 presents total; Jenna had kind of gone overboard…like she did every year.

Just as Jenna and I started to get up to clean up the wrapping, I heard her squeal again. I turned to face her and watched as she pulled one more gift from under the tree.

"I must have missed it!" she said as she searched for a name. Suddenly she looked up at me. "It's for you, Elena." She walked it over to me.

I sighed. "Aunt Jenna, you really didn't need to get anything else for me."

She shook her head. "This isn't from me."

I looked over at Jeremy and was about to berate him as well, but he shook is head just as Jenna had.

My brow furrowed in confusion and I looked to the tag. Written in very elegant script was my name and nothing else. The box was covered in black and pale gold damask wrapping paper with a sheer lace bow on top. I unwrapped it and my heart started to beat a little harder as I took in the antique wooden box, about the full size of my palm, with an intricate "S" carved on the top. Very slowly, I place my thumb on the lid and raised it.

My jaw dropped when I saw the necklace. It was beautiful and absolutely something I would wear. It was a silver locket with a raised design pattern on the front and a single blood-red ruby in the center. Beside it was a folded up piece of paper. I took it out and sat the box on the coffee table.

I unfolded it and my eyes were met with the elegant script once again.

_Elena,_ it began.

_I had hoped to present this gift to you in person. However, due to the current circumstances, I have acknowledged that it would be better and easier for you to receive the gift this way. _

_The locket inside this box belonged to my mother. There is no one else in the world I would prefer to have it than you. _

_Inside the locket, you will find bits of a finely shredded plant; it is vervain. I ask that you wear this necklace and do not remove it; it will protect you when I cannot. _

_I miss you. I know that what I did to Jeremy is unforgivable; I have accepted that. I only hope that one day you will find it in your heart to give me another chance, though it is wholly undeserved. _

_I love you, and I promise I always will. _

_-Damon_

I hadn't even realized I had started crying until I heard Jeremy struggling to get off the couch to come and comfort me.

"No, no, Jeremy," I said, wiping at my eyes. "Stay there." I looked up at Jenna who was staring at me with motherly concern in her eyes. It made me uncomfortable. "I'm just gonna' go upstairs for a few minutes. I'll meet you guys back down here for breakfast."

Before either of them could respond, I grabbed the box with the locket from the table and sprinted up to my room.

I shut the door loudly behind me and leaned against it. I looked down at the necklace in my hands and the tears returned.

I no longer felt like a 24-year-old woman having Christmas at her parents/aunts house. I felt like I was a teenager again, weeping ridiculously over a crush. To make the feeling even more real, I was surrounded by the same place I actually _had_ spent my time crying over boys.

I walked over to the mirror at my vanity and sat down on the stool. I swooped my hair over to one side of my shoulder as I removed the silver locket from its cozy position inside the box and brought the two loose ends around either side of my throat, latching it at the nape of my neck.

As the cold silver rested against my skin and the locket weighed it down on my chest, goose bumps rose up along my skin and I shivered.

"I knew you would like it," he said softly from across the room.

A scream caught in my throat as I jumped up from the stool and spun around, my heart pounding rapidly.

My eyes locked with his and I felt my knees grow weak. "W-what are y-you doing here, Damon?" I asked no louder than a whisper, finding it hard to catch my breath.

Without answering, Damon crossed the space between us quickly and smoothly, his eyes burning intensely with determination. Before I could ask what he was doing, his lips collided with mine, and the force shoved me against the vanity.

"Damon!" I gasped against his lips. I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him back with as much force as I could muster.

"We can't," I tried to say, but the sound wouldn't escape. He took a step away and his ice blue eyes were burning into mine, making their way to my soul. My lower lip trembled and I forced my lungs to accept the air I was trying to suck in.

Damon didn't even appear to be phased by my words. If anything, his eyes filled with more lust and love than I'd ever seen before. In one swift motion, his hands were on either side of my face and our lips were connected again.

This time, I didn't try to push him away. My body recognized its need for him and tears welled under my eyelids. _I had missed him._

My hands wrapped around his shoulders and I brought my body closer to his. Damon reacted to this and his pelvis pressed into my own for a brief second.

My lips opened and his tongue willingly slid inside. _I missed his taste_. The coolness of his tongue made me shiver, but I didn't back away. Instead I tasted it greedily, hungrily.

Damon groaned and my breath caught in my chest. _I missed his voice._

His hands slid down from my face and down to my hips, softly grazing the sides of my breasts as they passed. His fingers gripped at my hips and he lifted me slightly so I was sitting on top of the vanity. The mirror rattled behind me as my back hit it.

I pulled away from his lips, my breath escaping me raggedly. "Damon, we can't," I said, looking up into his eyes. He opened his mouth to respond, but I continued, "…here. We can't do this here. Jenna and Jeremy might hear this thing hitting the wall."

A small smile appeared at his lips and he wrapped his arms around my middle, pulling me into his arms. My legs wrapped around his waist and I laughed quietly as he spun me around. Quickly, he crossed the room, opened my closet door, stepped inside, and shut it behind us, leaving us in total blackness.

"Better?" he whispered, his hot breath flowing over my ear. His lips wrapped around my earlobe and he sucked it in between his teeth before moving his kisses down my neck. I sighed and closed my eyes, tilting my head back against the wall. The closet was basically empty besides a few pieces of clothing I had actually taken time to hang. My hand reached out and I gripped what felt like my leather jacket.

He pushed my back against the wall and I tightened the grip on his waist with my legs. I felt his erection through his jeans against my wet center and I drew my lower lip in between my teeth. Without even thinking about it, I wriggled my hips so he grinded against me. _I missed his touch_.

He chuckled against my neck. "What are _you_ doing?" he whispered.

"Damon, I missed you," I admitted with a breathy exhale.

I heard him sigh as he kissed patterns across my skin. "I missed you, too, Elena," he responded, his lips not leaving my throat. His hands traveled up from my hips and slid under the hem of my pajama top. I sucked in a sharp breath of air as his cold fingers rested on my breasts. Very slowly, he massaged them and I felt my nipples harden against his palms. His hand pulled back slightly so his fingers pulled together to the tips of the soft mounds and he rolled the nipples between his thumb and forefinger.

Suddenly, his hands dropped to the back of my thighs and he raised me higher so his lips could seek out a nipple. When his tongue slid over the hardened peak, I moaned softly and felt him smile against me.

As his mouth sucked on the breast, his fingers ran across my stomach then to the hem of my pajama shorts and panties. His fingers hooked into the tops, but instead of taking me off of him to pull the clothing down, I heard the fabric rip and I laughed. Normally I would have chastised him for such an act, but I wanted him as much as he wanted me and I really didn't want him to put me down.

I heard the soft landing of the fabric on the carpeted floor. His hands then moved under my thighs to reach the zipper of his jeans. I heard the _ziiiip_ of it being pulled down and I felt him shimmy them and his boxers lower on his hips.

He pulled up from my breast and he kissed me again. "Ready?" he whispered against my lips. I nodded frantically, feeling my center starting to ache for him.

His hands grabbed my hips and I loosened the grip my legs had so that he could move me freely.

I brought my head up higher to meet his lips again and our tongues danced as he started lowering me.

I shivered as I felt the tip of him brush against me. "Just do it," I begged against his lips.

As I asked, Damon pushed my hips down and rammed up into me.

My head instantly tilted back against the wall and a deep, throaty moan escaped my lips. _I missed the way he filled me completely. _

He let me get adjusted to his size for a moment before he began lifting me and lowering me back down. I made slow circular motions with my hips when he was deep inside of me so my throbbing clit rubbed against the base of his penis, sending electric shocks through my body.

Damon's breath flowed in jagged pants across my skin and it warmed me, making me feel more comfortable than I had in a long time.

He kept up a steady pace with one hand on my thigh and the other kneading a breast again. One of my hands gripped the back of his head, my fingers laced through his dark locks, and my other was lifted above me, my fingers wrapped tightly around the metal bar meant for hanging clothes.

I felt him sliding in and out of me and my stomach tightened as I became more and more aroused. He quickened his movement, pulling almost completely out of me before thrusting back up roughly. My back shook the wall behind me and I realized that it didn't matter if I was on the vanity or in the closet; sounds were bound to make their way down to Jenna and Jeremy.

But I no longer cared.

"I love you," he whispered in the darkness, crashing his lips back to mine.

I tugged lightly on his hair and mumbled my "love yous" against his mouth.

I took deep inhales and exhales with each of his thrusts, trying to prolong the experience.

Damon groaned again and my center reacted to the sound, pressing into his body.

"Unghhh," I moaned, running my tongue over my drying lips. "Daaamon," I huffed, matching his thrusts with my own hip movements.

Both of his hands moved just below my ass and he started lifting me up and down much more quickly, grunting softly with each impact.

I felt my body start to tremble as the orgasm began to creep up on me. Every time my clit rubbed against his body, a warm sensation washed through me and my abdomen tightened.

"Fuck," he sighed and I grinned, his voice making me tingle.

My palms became sweaty as he pounded me against the closet wall and I wrapped them around his neck, pulling myself close to his chest. I kissed him quickly before letting my head fall back again.

"Oh…fuck….Elena," he moaned, his movements becoming sporadic.

I knew I was close with a few more of his thrusts. As he slammed into me once more, I felt the tight coil in my stomach release and my clit twitched wildly as a warm rush exploded inside of me. White spots broke out behind my lids and I could hear my heart in my ears. "Oh Damon, Unghh Damon, Damon!" I cried out his name repeatedly, grinding my hips into his as I basked in the orgasm.

He thrust twice more before I felt him begin to pump under my skin. He buried his face into the crook of my neck and groaned. "Ohhhh," his voice rang quietly.

As we both came down from our sexually induced highs, he lowered us down to the floor of the closet. I kept my legs wrapped around his waist, not wanting to leave his embrace. I felt whole there. I finally felt complete. Vampire traits aside, Damon was my everything and he was perfect for me.

"Merry Christmas, baby," he whispered before softly placing his lips against mine.

Merry Christmas, indeed.

* * *

**Authors Note:** Okay, guys, I am very very very very _verrrry_ sorry this update came nearly a month later. I really don't know what happened. I just got in this...funk and I couldn't write more than a few paragraphs a day.

It could be because it's the end of the semester here at my university and after writing term paper after term paper, I just wasn't really up to writing on this. It could be because I keep getting sick. It could be because I'm having some serious writers block. It could be because everything I wrote was crap and I scrapped it three or four times.

Either way, I apologize, but I got this to you as soon as I could. I didn't even send the chapter to my incredible beta to save some time between completion and posting.

If you follow me on twitter (APhobiac) or read my blog (writingtoberemembered(dot)blogspot(dot)com) then you've been kept up-to-date on the progress of the story. I even gave you guys a little sneak peak. So, if you're not following me at either, you should. Lol.

I still really don't feel out of the woods yet. It took a lot out of me to get this chapter completed so I can't promise that an update will come this week or the next, but I promise I will try my hardest to get some work done and hopefully even a full chapter.

So, all that aside, review and let me know what you thought of this chapter. Should she be accepting Damon back into her life so soon after what he did to Jeremy?

See you guys next chapter!

P.S., I'm hoping someone could help me make some banners for my stories to post on my blog. Send me a message. :)


	15. Chapter 15

We sat in silence for nearly twenty minutes, simply holding each other in the dark. Finally my legs began to ache from the position and I knew I needed up.

I lightly kissed the side of Damon's neck before lifting myself off of him.

"Where are you going?" he whispered.

"I just need to get up for a little bit," I replied. I took a moment to stretch out my tired limbs before opening the closet door. I had been in darkness for so long that the pale light coming from a lamp in the bedroom was enough to blind me momentarily. I waited for my eyes to adjust before I exited the closet and found new clothes to wear.

I had new panties and pajama pants already on and was tugging an oversized t-shirt over my head before Damon stepped out of the closet as well.

"So this was okay?" he asked quietly.

I turned to look at him as the shirt fell loosely around my torso. He had picked up an angel statue from my desk and was looking at it in his hands. He seemed almost nervous.

"This was okay," I smiled softly in agreement.

He sat the angel back down and looked up at me. "I really didn't know if coming here was the right thing to do. I changed my mind a million times before I decided to come. And honestly, I didn't come here with the intention of having sex with you. I just…" he looked to the ground, "…I just needed to see you. And when I finally did…" he trailed off and shook his head lightly. "I've really missed you, Elena."

I walked over to my bed and sat down, patting the spot beside me. "We need to talk, Damon."

He walked over and sat beside me. I decided it would be best for me to avoid his sparkling eyes if I was going to try to have a serious, coherent discussion with him. I stared down at my hands.

"Damon, I'm tired of not being with you. I'm tired of trying to convince myself that I don't love you, because I do." I looked up at him and our eyes met; I instantly knew I had made a mistake. "I love you, Damon," I repeated, feeling my will to stay strong crumble under his gaze. "But I don't know if I can ever just accept what you are." The words burned on the way out. "And what happened to Jeremy can never happen again. Keeping them safe comes before me falling in love."

Damon shook his head slightly and took my hands into his. "Elena, I swear to you it won't. I lost control and it was an accident. And I can't change the fact that I am what I am, but I need you to know that however much you love me, my feelings for you are so much stronger. Vampires don't change often, but you have changed me in a way that is absolutely irreversible. I'm begging you to try to see past my flaws and my mistakes. I want nothing more than to be with you."

His eyes were intense and his words warmed my body. It was unusual to see Damon so vulnerable and open, but I had a feeling he knew that he was saying just the right things to pull me in.

"The time we've spent apart has been worse to me than someone simply driving a stake through my chest," he continued. "Knowing that Katherine is out there worries me and not being here to protect you hurts me. My existence revolves around you, Elena. You are everything to me and I know I don't deserve you, but I'd like to try, maybe even pretend I do."

Him bringing up Katherine created a pit in my stomach. "Damon," I said softly, "why did you lie about how Katherine escaped?"

He dropped my hands in my lap and slowly pulled away. "I…I didn't," he contradicted, but the statement held no strength.

I nodded. "You did. Stefan told me he released Katherine."

He sighed and looked to the ground. "I…I just…" it was almost humorous seeing Damon at a loss for words. He normally had so many. "I just didn't think it was the proper time or place to tell you about how big an idiot Stefan is," was the answer he finally settled on.

A small smirk tilted the corners of my lips. "Or," I challenged, "did you want to protect your brothers' reputation in my eyes?"

He scoffed. "What? Of course not. What a ludicrous statement. I could care less what you think of Stefan." He rolled his eyes.

"You're lying!" I laughed. "You were trying to protect him!"

I gasped as Damon moved in a blur, straddling my lap and pushing me back on the bed. He hovered inches above me, his hands holding my bent arms on either side of my head, completely immobilizing me.

"I'm telling you," he began in a low tenor, his chest rumbling above me, "I do not care what you think of Stefan." His eyes were glistening in the low light and they held an air of silliness.

I knew he would never admit he lied so that I wouldn't think badly of Stefan. He was doing what any sibling would do.

I lifted my head, the only part of my body not being held down, and lightly pecked at his lips.

He grinned and lightly kissed me back.

"Elena?" Jenna's voice called loudly down the hallway before she began knocking on my door. "Sweetie, are you okay? Jeremy said he heard some commotion while I was taking all of the trash from this morning down the road to the dumpster." She jiggled the door handle. "Elena?"

Quickly I tried thinking of an excuse for the noise.

"Elena?" she asked again, slight panic apparent in her voice. Jenna did always get antsy quickly.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay!" I answered. My eyes remained locked with Damon's. I wasn't sure if my tone of voice would be satisfying enough for her.

"Well, um, open the door then," she said nervously. I guess it wasn't satisfying enough.

I looked up at Damon, my eyes slightly wide. How would I explain him?

He smiled and quickly kissed me again. "I'll see you soon," he whispered.

Before I could ask what he meant, he was gone and I was left on the bed alone.

"Elena, are you opening the door or not?" Jenna asked.

I sat up and looked around the room, smiling to myself when I spotted the fluttering curtains.

"Elena!" Jenna yelled, obviously becoming aggravated.

I rushed over to the door, unlocked it, and swung it open. "I'm fine," I assured her again, feeling once more like a teenager.

Her eyes were narrowed as she scanned me from head to foot. "You changed clothes?"

"The others were too thin and I was getting cold."

Her eyes traveled back up my body and rested on the necklace hanging around my neck. "Where did you get that from?"

"A friend," I answered in noncommittal fashion.

"So," she started slowly, finally bringing her gaze back to my face. "Are you okay? I mean, with everything then went on downstairs earlier. You seemed upset."

I shrugged slightly and leaned against my doorframe. "Yeah, I'm fine. The gift I opened just reminded me of someone that I missed."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I smiled softly at her. "Thank you, but I don't think that'll be necessary. I've…come to terms with missing this certain someone."

Jenna's face was slightly blank as she stared at me. I'm sure she was thinking I had gone absolutely mad. One minute I'm crying over a present that mysteriously appeared under our tree, and then next minute I've changed clothes and am acting like I hadn't really been upset at all. I knew she was worried.

I stepped out into the hallway and softly shut the door behind me. "Come on, I bet Jeremy is getting lonely downstairs. We need to start cooking for tonight anyway," I said as I threw my around Jenna's shoulders; an awkward task because of our height difference.

Jenna shot me an odd look before nodding. "I guess you're right." She sighed, "I really hate cooking, though. I always tend to burn everything."

"Everything will be just fine, Aunt Jenna," I laughed as we started down the stairs. The statement was beginning to ring true for more situations than just our Christmas meal.

* * *

I lazily drug my feet against the carpet as I made my way back up the stairs. My stomach was full, my mind was clear, and for the first time in a long time, I was feeling good.

Jenna, Jeremy, and I had spent the rest of the holiday playing with our new gadgets and watching Christmas movies as Jenna and I took our time in preparing the evening meal. It had been one of the best Christmas's in a while, mainly because I was back home.

Being home reminded me just how much I missed Mystic Falls. It also made me realize that I kind of belonged here. After high school, I was just like every other kid my age and dying to get the hell out of dodge. Mystical Falls was too tiny a town for my liking back then. But now, things had changed. I had changed and now this place was really the only place I enjoyed calling home.

The next agenda on my list of things to do to get my life in order – behind reconciling with Damon, of course – was to get an apartment somewhere in Mystic Falls. I knew I no longer wanted to be so far away from my family and settling down here seemed like the right choice.

In the back of my mind, I wondered how Damon would feel about that decision. I knew he said he and Stefan were originally from here, but I didn't know the story behind that statement. The first night we had met, he had seemed amused at the fact I was a Gilbert and had even stated it was a small world; whatever that meant. Was his history here not a pleasant one?

But he had also revealed to me that he was as deeply in love with me as I was with him, and if those words were true, he would follow me wherever I chose to go. And as of now, I had chosen Mystic Falls.

With a large, unattractive yawn, I turned the knob on my bedroom door and stepped inside.

As the door closed, I was immediately drenched in cozy, warm darkness and I knew I wouldn't last more than a few minutes once I was in bed.

I decided to ignore my pre-bed ritual due to lack of energy and I headed straight for my bed.

With a large stretch and one more yawn, I threw back the sheets and crawled into bed.

I was nearing the other edge of the bed when I ran into a large mass. I opened my mouth to scream and I jerked my body back to scramble away when two arms wrapped around me.

"It's just me," Damon whispered softly into my ear.

"Damon? I hadn't expected you to come back tonight," I admitted, trying to ignore my extremely loud heartbeat.

Damon wrapped his arms tighter around me and pulled me down onto the mattress.

I snuggled my head under his chin and smiled slightly at how perfectly my body formed itself against his. For someone who had just been scared half to death, I had calmed down surprisingly quick. I guess Damon alone was enough to comfort me.

"Why wouldn't I?" he questioned. "That short amount of time earlier wasn't enough for me. Was it for you?"

"No, of course not," I answered quickly.

He nodded once. "So, that's why I'm back."

"I kind of feel like a teenager again," I laughed against his neck.

"Why is that?"

"Because here I am with a guy who's snuck into my room."

I felt his head lift a little. "Oh, so you did this a lot when you were a teenager?" The question was extremely insinuating.

"No!" I giggled, lightly hitting his shoulder. "I never had guys sneak into my room, but from movies I've watched and books I've read, this is what teenagers do, right? The guy sneaks in through the girls' window and snuggles up to her in bed. The parents never know and never become suspicious, but the kids don't ever do anything non-PG rated, so it's not like it really matters if they find out or not. It's always so sweet."

He bent his head lower and lightly nipped at my earlobe. "We could definitely make this non-PG, if you'd like, Elena." His voice was low and sinisterly sexy. "I'm sure it would keep you from feeling like a teenager."

My face heated with a blush. "We can just keep it sweet," I responded meekly.

He kissed the small dip directly below my ear and smiled against my skin. "If you say so," he faux sighed before resting his head above me again.

"I could introduce you to my family, if you'd like," I told him. "Maybe tomorrow? Then I won't feel like I'm sneaking so much."

He shrugged. "If that's what you want."

I bit down on my lower lip in thought for a second. "You don't think Jeremy will remember you, do you?"

He shook his head. "Very unlikely. Stefan told me what he did for him, so his mind should be protected from the memory."

I nodded slowly, hoping that whatever Stefan did would hold up. "Well, whether or not I introduce them to you soon, we won't have to do the window thing for very much longer."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going to get an apartment of some sort here in Mystic Falls." As I said the words, I felt his muscles tense around me slightly. I pulled away from him a little. "You don't like that idea?" I asked slowly.

His grip around my body eased up and he moved so that our heads were leveled. I could hardly see his face with the lack of light, but his eyes were unmistakable. "I don't think it's the best idea, no," he responded cautiously.

I furrowed my brow in confusion. "Why not?"

"Because it would be too easy to find you here."

"Who's looking for me?" I retorted quickly, pushing myself up with one arm.

He mimicked my movement. "We don't know what Katherine is up to," he reminded me.

"Damon, I'm not going to let her rule my life. If and when she comes around, I'll deal with it, but I'm not going to run from her."

"It's just not a good decision, Elena."

I folded my arms across my chest. "Damon, is that the only reason it's a bad decision? Because she could find me? Or is it a bad decision because it would be bad for _you_?"

"What is that supposed to mean, Elena?" he groaned softly.

"Remember how when we first met you told me you were from here. What made you leave?"

I could see a soft shadow on his face move, indicating his jaw muscles were flexing; a tell-tale sign he was mulling over his answer.

"Damon," I repeated a bit more boldly, "Why did you and Stefan originally leave Mystic Falls?"

"Some people," he began slowly, "don't really appreciate our presence in this town."

"Wow, could your answer be anymore vague?" I asked sarcastically.

"Don't be snide," he commented and I rolled my eyes.

"So who were these people?"

He was quiet for a few moments longer before responding. "Your ancestors."

The answer brought me up short. "What?"

He nodded. "Your forefathers found out what we were and were determined to drive stakes through our hearts."

My jaw fell slack. "My family tried killing you?"

"Yours and the families of many, many others."

"But why would that be an issue now?"

"Most of those families are still plenty aware of our existence. Not all legends die."

"And you'd think they'd come after you?"

"I _know_ they'd come after me," he corrected.

Sympathy poured through me as I listned to Damon's confession. I had only experienced someone seeking me out to kill me for one month so far. Damon had been experiencing this for centuries. I couldn't imagine how that would feel.

"Damon, nothing's going to happen to you," I said softly, reaching forward to gently caress his cheek.

"I know that I'll be okay," he said slowly, taking the wrist of my outstretched hand and pulling my palm in front of his lips, kissing it gently. "It's you I worry about."

I tilted my head softly. "People wouldn't hurt me because of you, Damon."

"Stefan and I were killed because we were with Katherine," he quickly interjected, lightly grazing his lips along the pads of each of my fingers.

"They killed you because of her?" I gasped.

He nodded. "When they found out we were helping her and that we were in love with her, they killed us. And when we became what we are now, they sought to kill us again."

My heart suddenly felt torn. I wanted so badly to live in Mystic Falls, but I would never do anything that would hurt Damon.

"Damon, I want to stay here," I whispered timidly. "I don't want to run anymore."

He sighed and placed his forehead against my palm. "Elena, I'm so worried for your safety."

"I know." I pulled my hand away and replaced it with my own head, our noses grazing each other. "But I can't live my life in fear. That's not a life at all."

His cool breath flowed over my face as he pondered over my words. "You're right," he finally said. "I want you to be happy and if Mystic Falls is where you can be happy, then we'll stay here. We'll start looking for an apartment for you tomorrow."

I gently pulled my lower lip in between my teeth for a moment. "Maybe we could look for an apartment for _us_ tomorrow?"

I felt the muscles in his face adjust themselves into a smile. "Sure, if that's what you want." He tilted his head down so that our lips touched. "I love you," he mumbled against my lips.

I simply nodded and increased the pressure between us.

Several seconds passed before Damon pulled away. "You should get some sleep," he encouraged softly. "Tomorrow is apparently going to be a big day."

He lied back on the back and pulled me with him. I rested my head on his shoulder, one arm thrown casually across his stomach. Both of his arms wrapped around my body and he snuggled us deep into the covers.

Although I really no longer wanted to go to sleep, I knew I was tired and he was right; tomorrow would be a big day. I closed my eyes and instantly had to suppress a yawn.

"Goodnight, Damon." I smiled as the words exited my lips. It felt right to be going to sleep next to him.

"Goodnight, love," he responded as he slowly began to glide one hand through my hair, from the top of my scalp to the tips at my lower waist.

Before I drifted off, a random question popped into my mind. "Damon?"

"Hm?"

"How did you get into Aunt Jenna's house?" I asked, my brow furrowing.

"She invited me in, of course."

I rolled my eyes behind my closed lids. Of course. I should have known.

Normally I would have berated him for his misuse of my aunt, but I was too tired and the argument just didn't seem worth it. "Goodnight," I repeated with a small smile.

He chuckled, and briefly tightened his grip around me before resuming his laps through my hair. "Goodnight, Elena."

* * *

**Authors Note:** See you next chapter! :)


	16. Chapter 16

When I woke the next morning, a letter was placed on the pillow beside my head.

_Elena,_ it began.

_I've gone to change clothes and make myself presentable for my meeting with your aunt and brother. I will arrive at your front door at precisely 10 AM. Then, we will start our apartment shopping. _

_I love you and miss you already._

_-Damon._

My heart fluttered in my chest as I read the last line through four different times. This was going to take getting used to – Damon and I having a somewhat normal, somewhat calm relationship. So often, we as a couple felt volatile and on the verge of exploding, but for once, things were peaceful; at least as peaceful as they could possibly be given our circumstances.

I looked over at my alarm clock and let out a small gasp as I realized it was already nearing 9:00. Quickly, I showered, scrunched mousse into my hair to create flowing waves in my usually straight hair – this style was much easier to create – and dressed for the day. When I finally got downstairs, it was 9:45.

Jenna and Jeremy were both sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast. When they heard me enter, they both greeted me with a "Good morning" simultaneously.

I smiled back at them and repeated their greeting.

"There's some eggs and stuff in the kitchen, if you're hungry," Jenna informed me as I sat at the table.

I shook my head slightly. "Nah, I'm not hungry." Truth be told, I was hungry, but I was extremely nervous about Jenna and Jeremy meeting Damon. Were these two parts of my life I was supposed to keep separate? Would something bad happen by joining them?

I realized I was beginning to have cold feet. I wasn't sure that I was ready for them to officially meet. The overwhelming need to protect my family was starting to battle with my need of finding a balanced, typical lifestyle.

I glanced at the clock hanging on the wall – 9:48. I still had 12 minutes to call this whole thing off.

"So, Elena, what are your plans today?" Jenna asked as she scooped up a fork-full of eggs.

It always seemed like she was just on the brink of reading my mind. I leaned back in my chair. "I'm going…" I decided to use Damon's words, "…apartment shopping."

My aunt looked up at me through her eyelashes, her fork halfway to her mouth. "What?"

Jeremy smiled broadly as he sat down his cup of orange juice. "So this means you're staying in Mystic Falls?"

"Looks like it," I nodded.

Jenna let out an ear-piercing, screechy howl and dropped her fork before running around the table to me. I was suddenly thankful I was sitting as she slammed into me, her arms pulling me into an uncomfortably tight hug. "Yay! Yay! Yay!" she cried, half jumping up and down as she was leaning over to hug me. She stood back up. "Oh my gosh, Elena, I am so excited," she began like a giddy sorority girl. "We are gonna' find you the greatest place! And then we'll go shopping to buy you new furniture and decorations! Oh, Elena, I'm so glad you're staying!" She bent down to hug me again, accompanied by a second squeal.

"Aunt Jenna, calm down," I laughed, hugging her back. "I know it's exciting, but sheesh."

She pulled away and started towards her place at the table again. "So, what time do you want to go?" she asked as she picked back up her fork.

I bit down on my lower lip for a moment. Here goes nothing. "Well, I kind of already have plans to go look with a friend."

She tilted her head slightly and frowned. "Oh."

Shame washed through me. "Yeah," I continued, "I'm sorry. They just happen to be in town for the day so they asked if they could tag along."

She looked down at her plate and nodded slightly. "Oh okay. That's no problem." As I was searching my mind for a way to comfort her, her face suddenly lit up and she looked back to me. "But we can still go furniture shopping and stuff, right?"

I grinned. "Absolutely. As soon as I have a place picked out."

She did a small dance with her shoulders, a huge smile plastered across her face, and began digging into her food again.

I shook my head slightly and rolled my eyes. Jenna was just too cute sometimes.

"So what about your schooling?" Jeremy asked.

I looked over at him and shrugged slightly. "I'm not one hundred percent sure yet. I mean, I hadn't picked out a major or anything back at my old school, so I just figured I could start fresh here and figure it out. I have all my basics practically finished already. Now it's just picking a career. So, I don't really know. We'll see."

He nodded and opened his mouth to respond, but as he did, the doorbell rang. Instantly, my heart dropped into my stomach and I looked at the clock again – 10:00.

Jenna's brow furrowed. "I wonder who that is."

I jumped out of my seat. "My friend. He said he'd be here around 10."

"He?" Jenna asked, sitting her fork back down.

I remained silent and exited the dining room. As I entered the hallway, I could see Damon's silhouette through the frosted glass panes of the front door and my heart skipped a beat again before speeding up.

I could hear the patter of Jenna's bare feet following closely behind me. "So who is he?" she whispered excitedly.

"Just a friend," I whispered back over my shoulder, but I knew Damon could hear us regardless of our soft voices.

"_Right_," she said slowly with a smile. "Just a _friend._ Okay."

I made a sudden stop and turned to face her. "Okay, he might be just a little bit more than just a friend. But it's just starting out, Aunt Jenna," I told her with a stern eye. "Don't put too much stock into it."

A warm, motherly smile spread across her lips. "Okay, sweetie. I won't count my chickens before they hatch." She eyed me up and down. "But I have a feeling it would be okay if I did."

She knew I was in love. She _always_ knew what was going on in my life without me even hinting at it. Although there were times when Jenna could be immature and very non-parental, there was no one better qualified to take my mothers place than her.

I took a deep breath. "Just try to stay calm, please," I asked her.

She nodded and held out a hand, indicating my guest was still waiting.

I turned around and swiftly pulled open the door. My jaw fell slack.

Seeing Damon standing there was almost like a dream. The mid-morning sun shone around his body, illuminating the edges of his skin. His famous sexy smirk decorated his lips and the deep, sparkling pools that were his eyes set my soul on fire. He was wearing dark jeans and a deep gray v-neck t-shirt, his standard black leather jacket draped across one of his forearms. In his hands he held two bouquets, one of roses, the other of brightly colored daisy poms.

My eyes were fixated on him while everything around me faded away. Whenever I thought about not being good enough for Damon, it was all based around his appearance. He was magnificent. I was barely ordinary. I could only hope he loved me enough not to care.

"Hi," he said softly, his grin broadening.

"Hi." My response was weak and nearly just a squeak.

He chuckled slightly before turning his gaze to Jenna. "Hi, you must be Elena's aunt."

I was quickly reminded of my aunt standing beside me and I turned to look at her. She appeared to be just as dazed as I was. Slowly, she held out her hand to shake his and I couldn't help but notice how her hand wobbled.

Damon lowered himself slightly to lift her hand and kiss her knuckles. I watched Jenna's face turn seven shades of red.

"N-nice to meet y-you," she stammered. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

He let her hand fall and her stood straight again. "Damon." He held out the daisy poms to her. "These are for you. I hope you like them."

Her blush deepened. "That's so thoughtful of you, Damon, thank you."

He turned to me. "And these are for you." He handed me the roses.

I smiled down at them. "Thank you," I responded softly.

Before I could fully examine the bouquet, Jenna snatched them away. "I'm going to get these into water right now so they last longer," she said as she started for the kitchen.

I laughed and looked back to Damon. "That was sweet of you."

He shrugged. "That's what we do, right?"

"Who's we?" I asked with a furrowed brow.

"You know, _boyfriends_." He said the word in a casually dismissive tone.

I pulled my lower lip in between my teeth. "So is that what you are?"

He grinned. "I normally don't go for that type of thing," he said as he leaned against the doorframe, shoving his now empty hands into his jean pockets, "but I figured what the hell. Why not live a little?" He scoffed quietly. "Well, technically I don't live, but you get the point."

I felt my cheeks burn softly. "Okay. Sure," I nodded and folded my arms across my chest. "We can definitely give this…'thing' a try."

"It feels odd, doesn't it?" he asked suddenly.

"What does?"

"Doing this whole thing backwards. I mean, you and I have kind of already surpassed the girlfriend/boyfriend stage, but…" he shook his head slightly, "…here we are."

I couldn't help but giggle. He was right. We were definitely not doing this all in the right order.

"But I guess," he started with a sigh, shoving off the doorframe, "when you're as old as I am, it doesn't matter how you get to this point. As long as you do." He leaned down and lightly grazed his lips across my cheek.

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, his soft touch instantly making me dizzy. When contact was lost and I opened my eyes again, Damon had already moved past me and was walking down the hallway.

I shut the door and followed him into the dining room.

Jenna was just entering from the kitchen holding two vases full of water that contained the flowers. She sat them in the center of the table.

Jeremy looked up from where he was still sitting at the table, his plate entirely empty in front of him. His eyes briefly passed over me and when they landed on Damon, he froze; all of the color drained from his face.

He remembered. I glanced nervously at Damon who was standing calmly by my side.

"Jeremy, this is Damon. Damon, Jeremy," Jenna introduced the two as she stood back and eyed the position of the flowers.

Jeremy stared at Damon with a panicked expression for a few moments longer before shaking his head and running a hand over his face. When he looked back, he appeared much more calm, only slightly rattled.

Jenna looked at Jeremy once the silence had lasted too long. "Jer, you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost," she laughed.

He grinned, but the smile was off and seemed uncomfortable. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He held out a hand to Damon. "Nice to meet you, man."

Damon stepped forward and shook his hand. "You, too."

When their hands dropped, Jeremy tilted his head and his brow furrowed. "I'm sorry, man, but do I know you? You seem like…ridiculously familiar. I swear we've met before."

Damon looked at me then back to Jeremy with a shrug. "Not that I know of. I haven't been in Mystic Falls in a really long time."

"Huh," Jeremy huffed, then looked back to his empty plate, obviously mulling over his déjà vu.

I looked back at Damon and he quickly winked, indicating that things were okay.

"Well, guys, we're gonna' head out," I said to Jenna and Jeremy. I wanted to get out of this house before Damon's appearance triggered other memories in Jeremy.

"Jenna, it was lovely meeting you," Damon started with a cool smile. "And Jeremy, if you remember where we met, let me know."

Jeremy laughed. "Yeah, no problem." I hoped with all my might that conversation would never happen.

"Goodbye, Damon," Jenna smiled. "If you're around this area again, don't hesitate to drop by."

"Will do, ma'am." I watched a blush touch Jenna's cheeks again. That trait must run in our family.

Damon turned and lightly placed his hand on the small of my back. "Let's get going, shall we?"

I nodded and my face heated once more. Maybe the blush didn't run in our family so much as Damon was just an excellent charmer.

* * *

Damon and I pulled up in front of an apartment complex that had been advertised in a local real estate book.

From the outside, this place seemed as great a catch as my last apartments, but without a job, I didn't have many options. When my parents passed away, they left both Jeremy and I a significant amount of money, so for now, I would live off of that. But using their money always made me feel guilty so I tried to use it sparingly until I could make it on my own.

I climbed out of Damon's car and sighed. "What do you think?" I asked over my shoulder.

I heard his door close. "I think it looks like shit."

"Damon!" I chided. "At least wait until you see the inside, geeze."

We went to the front office and asked to see an available apartment. The owner was a middle-aged man dressed in an oddly colored suit. As he led us up the stairs to the third floor, I noticed several lights were flickering and some had gone out altogether. It gave the place an eerie feel.

We reached a burgundy painted door and he unlocked it. "I'll be back in about ten minutes," the man said. "Have yourselves a look-around and let me know your decision."

The man looked to me and I smiled softly, then he turned his gaze to Damon. Damon remained stone-faced – a very intimidating look – and the man quickly turned his eyes away and scurried off.

I stepped into the small apartment and my heart sank into my stomach. The living room was barely large enough to fit a couch, if that. I hid my disappointment though and started walking through.

"Well, this is cozy," I said with optimism.

The kitchen was directly past the tiny living room and it was just as small. There was a refrigerator that had turned yellow over time shoved in the corner. On the opposite wall a countertop stretched a foot in length, then the stove was placed, then the countertop continued with the sink placed awkwardly in it. That would definitely be hazardous for me – having the stove and sink a foot apart. I turned back around and realized there was no room for a kitchen table at all.

I bit down on my lower lip and headed for the bedroom. The bedroom was a bit bigger than the living room; at least that was promising. I could definitely bring a full sized bed in and maybe a dresser.

I walked over to the closet and threw open the door, only to be met with a brick wall.

I suppressed a sigh and shut the door back. "What do you think, Damon?"

I walked back into the living room to find him and saw he was still standing at the doorway; he had never even entered.

"I think it looks like shit," he repeated.

I folded my arms across my chest, defensively. "It needs a little work, yeah, but other than that I think it'll do."

He lifted a brow. "You're actually considering this place, Elena?"

I looked around and felt a bit embarrassed. "I mean…yeah," I responded slowly.

"Nu uh," he suddenly said, and walked toward me. "Absolutely not. No way." Before I could try to convince him otherwise, he lifted me and threw me over his shoulder.

"What the hell, Damon?" I gasped. "Put me down!"

"No," was his only response as he walked out of the apartment. I felt the wind whip around me suddenly as Damon used his speed to get us down the stairs in under a second. My stomach churned and I clenched my teeth tightly, gripping the back of his t-shirt.

He slowed at the bottom of the steps, but didn't put me down. I was grateful for I was sure I wouldn't be able to stand.

"Wow, that was fast," I heard the apartment owner's voice. "Uh, so what did you think?"

I knew he had to be confused about Damon carrying me.

"It's not going to work," Damon said coldly as he continued past the man. I looked up in time to see the man curse to himself and walk back into his office.

When we reached his car, Damon pulled me forward and practically threw me into the passenger seat. Nearly simultaneously he was climbing into the drivers seat.

"Now," he began sternly, "we are no longer going to view apartments based on those you choose," he said and picked the red book up from the dashboard.

I was still a little winded from the run and our unexpected departure so I remained quiet and leaned back into my seat.

I watched as Damon flipped through the pages rapidly, briefly pausing to look a few. After about a minute he threw the book into the back. "Forget it," he mumbled and started the ignition.

I furrowed my brow questioningly. "Where are we going?"

"To our new place," he said simply and pulled away from the curb.

Fifteen minutes later we had crossed out of the city limits and I found myself being driven down a long, winding dirt path. Trees thickly decorated the land on both sides.

"Damon, I don't think they build apartments this far out of town. Are you sure we're not lost?" I asked as I watched the blurred green outside my window.

He laughed. "We're definitely not lost. In fact we should be there right about…now." As he said the words, we turned the corner and the trees thinned out to reveal a large yard full of plush green grass. Just beyond the yard was a large, two story brick house. It appeared older than the trees, but seemed very well taken care of. The house was glorious and far larger than anything I'd ever stepped into.

I looked back to Damon, my mind utterly confused. "I don't understand. Have they turned the rooms into apartments here?"

He pulled up to the front and turned the car off. "No," he answered. "I haven't changed anything in this house for over a hundred years."

I gasped and my eyes grew wide as I looked back to the house. "This is yours?"

He opened his door and started climbing out. "I prefer _ours_," he chuckled, "but you can call it that if you'd like."

I clambered awkwardly out of his car, my gaze locked on the house. I took in the two large, white front doors with beautiful carvings in the wood. My eyes then ran over the exterior. There were so many windows and each had the proper shudders attached and I could see matching curtains inside. A green vine stretched up the wall, but instead of making the house appear uncared for, the vine gave the house a gorgeous, regal elegance and spoke of how old it was.

Damon moved to stand beside me and I could see him staring in me in my peripheral vision. "What do you think?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"Damon, I couldn't…I can't possibly…it's just too…" I stumbled for words as I stared at the miraculous piece of architecture. "It's just too much. I could never afford this."

He laughed. "Elena, I own it. There's nothing to pay for."

I looked to him and shook my head. "Damon, it's such a nice offer, but I really couldn't." I sighed and looked back to the house. There would never be an apartment that could compare to this, but I simply wasn't worthy of this much.

Abruptly, Damon swept me up into his arms and placed his lips against mine. He pulled away and his eyes were dark with lust, causing my mind to forget about my sadness over losing the house and my heart to pick up speed.

"Let me convince you that you absolutely could," he said in a low voice that sent chills along my skin.

Before I could ask what he meant, he rushed into the house, the door opening and closing by me in a blur. He ran us up the stairs and into a room. When the door closed behind him, he placed me on my feet and pressed me against the door, his hands on either side of my face.

I had no time to look at the room I was in before his lips were on mine again, pressing forcefully. A low growl rumbled from the base of his throat and the sound made me shudder.

One of his hands dropped and slid down my side until he reached the hem of my shirt. Slowly, his hand slid up and paused, his thumb rubbing circles into my skin.

His mouth opened and I mimicked his move, allowing his tongue to glide smoothly into my mouth.

As our tongues danced together, his hand continued its movement until it found the lower curve of my breast. His thumb glided along the fabric of my bra, pushing it aside gradually. His touch made my skin pucker with goosebumps.

Finally, the bra was pushed aside enough for his thumb to graze over my nipple, instantly causing it to harden. I moaned into his mouth and he smiled against my lips, his other hand falling to hold my cheek.

He began to massage the breast in his hand and I could feel myself growing wet from the arousal.

Damon broke our kiss and I gasped for air. His lips began to suck and kiss along my neck and I let out another moan, my eyes closed tightly. My heart was hammering in my chest and my breath was escaping me unevenly.

I didn't understand why this was happening, but there was no way I was going to stop any of it. My hands lifted until they found Damon's hair. I wrapped my fingers into the dark locks and tugged slightly.

Damon let out a low groan and pressed his pelvis into me. Both of his hands fell and gripped the sides of my hips as his teeth nipped at my neck.

He applied pressure on my hips and pulled me forward, away from the door. He continued to kiss my neck as he moved backward. I opened my eyes, the movement startling me, and looked at where I was moving.

Apparently, I was in a bedroom. A large, four-poster bed was directly behind Damon and he seemed to know exactly where he was going. My first assumption was that it was his room.

Once we neared the edge of the bed, Damon broke away from my neck and sat down. His hands which were still on my hips quickly reached for the button and zipper of my jeans and he took them off hurriedly. My skin reddened with a blush at standing directly in front of him in only a t-shirt and panties.

He looked up at me from under his thick eyelashes, causing my breath to catch in my throat.

"You are so beautiful, Elena," he said with a lust-fill tone.

He lifted the hem of my shirt slightly, exposing the lower half of my stomach, and he leaned forward and gently placed a kiss above my belly button. The act was remarkably sweet and even more sexy.

I watched as his hands dropped my shirt and slid down my sides, rubbing the outside of my thighs before one traveled inside my legs. His fingers glossed over the outside of my panties and my head automatically tilted back, my eyes fluttering close.

I felt his cool fingers hook into the sides of my panties and he shimmied them down. His lips once again found my stomach and they began to make a trial lower. As his tongue licked at my skin, my heart pounded loudly, anxiously awaiting for him to reach my most aroused spot.

His hands slid around to the back of my thighs again and he gripped tightly just as his lips found my center. His tongue slid out and ran along the outer lips.

I sucked in a sharp breath of air and held back a moan that so desperately wanted to escape.

Suddenly, Damon flipped me over and I landed on the bed, the sheets poofing around me. He opened my legs and climbed into the bed on his knees. His movements were smoothly animalistic and aroused me even more.

He lowered his head and he licked at my center once more. My head pushed back into the sheets and I gripped the fabric tightly with my hands. The movements with his mouth were sensual, yet agonizing. I was desperate for his body.

I felt his tongue glide in between my lower lips and a gargled moan escaped me as he caressed the bundle of nerves. Slowly, he sucked on my center, every now and then flicking my clit with the tip of his tongue.

I felt a knot growing in my lower abdomen and knew it wouldn't take much more for me to come.

Unexpectedly, Damon lifted away from me and I fought the urge to whine. I heard the clinking of his belt and I smiled to myself, knowing exactly what was about to happen.

I heard the fabric of his jeans slide away and his hands grabbed my legs. He pulled me forward until I felt the edge of the bed against my rear end.

His fingers traced patterns into my skin and I took another deep breath.

"Are you ready?" he whispered.

I nodded frantically.

Him entering me was always a relief. He felt perfect in my body and connecting with him in this way was like coming home.

He pushed in until I was filled completely with his hardened member.

My lips parted and I licked at them, waiting for him to begin his rhythmic movement.

Very slowly, he pulled out until just his tip was still inside me, then he thrusted forward again.

A weak cry slipped from my lips and I gripped at the sheets more tightly.

Once Damon began moving in and out, he very quickly found his pace. Each time he entered me, another clipped, gaspy moan would make its way from my mouth.

Sweat beaded along my hairline and I realized it was extremely hot in the room. I reached down and pulled my shirt and bra over my head as Damon continued his movements. As soon as they were off, Damon wasted no time in reaching down and kneading each breast, his finger pinching and pulling at my very erect nipples.

As he pounded into me, the knot coiled more and I knew I was nearing my climax.

One of Damon's hands fell away from my breast and he reached down to rub at my clit. The added simulation caused my hips to buck into his and I bit down hard on my lower lip.

"Unngg, Elena," Damon groaned and I let go of my lip to smile.

Both of his hands moved to my hips to hold me in place and his movements began to come sporadically. He angled his body slightly forward so that on each upward thrust, his pelvis was rubbing against my throbbing center, sending electric waves throughout my nerves.

Each time he rammed into me, despite his efforts to hold my hips, I lifted from the bed a few inches and fell back down. The action did not feel good and when I gasped, I think he got the hint because he gripped my back and lifted me from the bed.

He turned slightly and pressed me against the wooden rail of the bed. I lifted up with one hand to grip the rod, my other folding around his neck to keep me secure.

Damon lifted me up and down with his hands, his moans escaping him more often.

My breath was ragged as I moved against him, reveling in the feeling my body got each time my clit made contact with him.

Suddenly, his fingers clenched against me and I felt warm fluid pump under my skin.

I opened my eyes and watched his face. I had never had my eyes opened as Damon orgasmed before, and now I was sorry I hadn't.

Against his clear complexion, reddish veins appeared across his face. He opened his eyes and the ice blue pools had turned completely black. His expression was that of great ecstasy and I found pride in myself that it was me that gave him that feeling.

He was beautiful. Most would probably not think so because of his vampire features, but this was Damon. This was the man I loved and I found nothing more stunning.

As the veins faded away and his eyes returned to their normal color, he leaned forward and kissed me deeply, his hips still pushing up into mine.

Damon turned us around and laid us both on the bed. He hovered over me as he continued entering me. One of his hands held his torso up, but the other gently caressed my cheek. "Come for me, Elena," he whispered, his cool breath flowing over my neck.

He angled his body again so that he was making maximum contact with my center and I moaned his name.

"Come on, baby," he said softly. "I want you to come for me, love." He moved his hand away from my face and rubbed at my center again, thrusting more forcefully into me.

Very quickly the coil wound as tight as possible and as he entered me once more, it exploded. I was sure I screamed Damon's name, but a rushing sound flowed inside my body and I couldn't hear it. White spots decorated the black beneath my lids and my fingers screamed in pain as I dug holes through the sheets.

The orgasm hit me hard, causing my body to shudder violently. "Ohh, Damon! Ohh, god, Damon," I moaned, arching my back as another lap washed over me.

I opened my eyes, despite wanting to keep them close during my orgasm, and I reached up to the back of his head. I used all my strength to pull him down to my neck. "Bite me," I commanded, still moving my hips against his.

"What?" I heard him ask.

"Do it, Damon!" I yelled.

As I requested, his fangs pierced my skin and another orgasm erupted at my center.

"Ahhh, yesss!" I yelled out, lifting my hips to meet him thrust for thrust.

I felt my blood flow from my body and my heart beat faster to keep it all moving.

I had truly seen Damon earlier for exactly what he was. This was what he needed to stay around and I found comfort… and arousal in the fact I could give it to him.

As he drank, he groaned against my flesh and I felt warmth inside me once more; I knew he had reached a second orgasm.

As my orgasms began to fade, Damon pulled away from my neck and he rolled over onto his back. Both of our chests were heaving as we panted for air.

I reached up to my neck and felt the remaining marks from his bite. A small smile formed upon my lips.

"So," Damon began through his breaths. "When would you like to move in?"

* * *

**Authors Note:** Okay, guys, I'm posting this really fast before I have to leave my computer for a while. I didn't get to send this to beta because I wanted to post it before I went out of town and I'm literally 5 minutes from not being able to be at the computer, so I didn't proofread, so let's just ignore the mistakes just this once until I can get back and go through it.

Let me know what you guys thinks!

See you next chapter.


	17. Chapter 17

Two months.

Two months we had lived together in perfect harmony.

Two months my life had settled into a calm routine.

Two months I had been fooled into believing things were okay.

Two months was how long it took for Katherine to return.

* * *

I sighed as I heard the knocking on the front door and I pulled the pillow over my face. "Damon," I groaned. "Would you get that?" I threw my hand out to my side to push him, hopefully waking him, but my fingers fell on nothing but the silk sheets. I pushed the pillow aside and looked at the bed beside me. Damon wasn't there.

I sat up and quickly searched the room. His jacket was still thrown over the chair at the desk and his shoes were by the closet. Normally I would assume he had heard the knocking before me and gone to answer it, but that wouldn't explain why the knocking was still occurring.

I looked over at the alarm clock: 6:04 AM.

I climbed out of the bed and rushed to my dresser, tugging on some pajama pants and a loose t-shirt.

As I headed downstairs, an uncomfortable feeling washed over me. Where was Damon? And who was so persistent at the door this early in the morning?

When I reached the door, I hesitantly moved aside the curtain hanging on the small window. I sighed in relief when I saw it was only Jeremy.

I unlocked the deadbolt and then the door handle lock. "Do you know what time it i-" I began to ask as I pulled open the door, but Jeremy surprised me by rushing past me and into the house. His eyes were wide and his breathing was labored, as if he had rushed here.

"Jeremy, what's wrong?" I asked quietly, trying to keep my heartbeat at a normal speed.

"Where is he, Elena?" Jeremy was pacing the floor, leaning into different rooms and looking. I followed him as he started up the stairs.

"Who?"

"Damon!" he nearly yelled.

My brow furrowed. That was a good question. "I really don't know, Jeremy. What's going on?"

He suddenly stopped on the steps and spun around to face me. His eyes were wild and sweat was beading along his forehead. He stared at me for several seconds before forcefully grabbing my upper arm and going the opposite direction, down the stairs. "Have to get her out of here. Get her away from him," he mumbled to himself.

I tried to pull away. "Jeremy! What are you doing?"

"It's not safe!" he responded.

After several failed attempts, I was finally able to jerk away from his grasp. "What are you talking about?" I rubbed the spot on my arm where he had been holding and winced slightly; I knew it was going to leave bruises.

Jeremy rubbed at his temples with his fingers, his eyes clenched tight. He was repeating, "We have to go," to himself.

I walked over to him and gently reached for his wrists to pull his hands away from his face. "Jeremy?"

He flinched away, his eyes shooting wide again. When he realized it was just me, he exhaled deeply and shook his head slightly. "Elena, Damon isn't safe."

All of my attempts to keep my heartbeat steady seemed futile now as it hammered in my chest, sending my pulse racing along my skin. "What are you talking about?"

His brow furrowed deeply. "I'm having these… flashes or something." He reached up and gripped the locks of his hair. "I'm losing my mind, Elena. Ever since I met Damon I've had this nagging feeling that I know him from somewhere and now I'm starting to have dreams and…last night I had one and it was so…vivid and…damn, Elena, I thought I was losing it. But then she told me I wasn't and…when I woke up, all I could think about was getting you out of here. I have to get you out of here. I don't think I could stand it if you stayed."

I tried to hide from Jeremy that it was becoming increasingly difficult to breath as he spoke. He was remembering when Damon attacked him. I had worried about this constantly since the first time…well, second time they met.

"Jeremy, you said so yourself – they were just dreams. There's nothing to worry about with Damon."

He shook his head. "No, Elena. I know it seems stupid, but I need you to come with me. You can't stay."

I sighed. "Jeremy, I think you should just go back home, okay?"

He looked around again. "Where is he, Elena? I need to see him."

"I seriously don't know, Jeremy."

He looked back at me, his eyes narrowed. "Why would he be gone this early in the morning?"

I bit down on my lower lip. I didn't know how to answer that. He was normally still with me in bed at this time of the day.

Although I didn't know where Damon was, I felt the need to try to cover for him. "He had errands to run, so he started early."

"What errands?"

I groaned. "Jeremy, I don't know! Now seriously, this is ridiculous. I want to go back to bed."

Slowly Jeremy walked toward me, his eyes locked with mine. "Elena, swear to me right now you don't know anything about Damon."

"What are you talking about? Know what about Damon?"

"Swear to me you don't know what he is."

I unintentionally swallowed hard. He definitely knew. I could see it in his eyes.

"I-I don't… know… I don't know anything, Jeremy," I stuttered softly.

Abruptly, Jeremy grabbed me and lifted me over his shoulder, eliciting a half gasp half shriek from me.

"Jeremy, what are you doing!" I screamed. I was tired of men thinking they could just do this with me – force me somewhere by carrying me.

"Getting you out of here," he said flatly.

"Put me down, Jeremy!"

"I can't do that."

I heard the handle turn and the wood scraping the frame as he opened the door, but instead of walking through, we suddenly stopped. I felt Jeremy's hands start to shake against my legs.

"Um...hi?" I heard Damon's voice.

"Move," Jeremy said coldly.

"Elena, are we going somewhere?" Damon asked.

"She's going home with me," Jeremy answered, his voice wavering slightly. I could hear in his voice he was trying to act strong and stern, but he was genuinely afraid of the situation.

"Elena?" Damon asked again, ignoring Jeremy.

I sighed. "Jeremy, put me down," I requested softly.

"Elena, no," he groaned.

"I think you should do as the lady asks," Damon told him in an unyielding tone. His voice portrayed he was absolutely serious.

We stood still for several seconds when unexpectedly Jeremy turned and starting running, me still over his shoulder.

With me turned around, I looked up at Damon who was still standing at the door. His eyes were questioning and he held up his hands slightly, indicating he didn't know what to do. He had promised me that he wouldn't do anything to harm Jeremy.

We turned the corner into the kitchen and I knew Jeremy was heading for the back door.

"Jeremy, put me down now!" I told him as forcefully as I could.

He didn't respond and when I was about to yell at him again, a force ran into Jeremy, knocking him to the ground. Before I fell on top of him, two hands grabbed me.

I looked up into Damon's apologetic eyes as he stood up and gently placed me on the ground.

Jeremy was pushing himself up from the floor, his eyes wide with fear. "I knew it," he said, his chest heaving from running with me on his shoulder. "You are…I knew it…"

Damon knelt down in front of him. "You don't know anything, Jeremy," he said firmly and I knew he was compelling him to forget. "You had never met me before the night at your Aunt Jenna's."

I expected Jeremy to nod and repeat the words as he had before, but he continued to shake his head. "You're lying!" he yelled.

Damon turned to face me, his brow furrowed. The compulsion wasn't working.

"She said you would lie!" Jeremy continued.

We both looked to him.

"Who said I would lie?" Damon asked.

Jeremy opened his mouth as if he were going to respond, but then his face fell in confusion. "I…I can't remember," he admitted. "But she said you would."

Slowly I walked toward him. "Jeremy what are you talking about?"

"She helped me remember what Damon was," he said, looking at the floor. "But she said he would deny it. And you would, too."

"So what am I?" Damon asked and I quickly looked at him, shaking my head. I didn't want Jeremy to say the words.

Jeremy looked up, his eyes narrowed and tight. "A vampire," he sneered.

In that instant, my heart broke. I didn't want Jeremy to be introduced to this world. That automatically put him danger.

"Damon, don't let him remember," I whispered, my voice panicked.

Damon looked at Jeremy again. "You had a dream that I was a vampire, but it isn't true. I am not a vampire." I could see in his face he was trying with all his might to compel Jeremy, but by the expression still in Jeremy's eyes, it wasn't working.

Damon stood up and Jeremy scrambled to his feet as well.

"Jeremy," Damon began, "I want you to sit here in the kitchen while Elena and I have a talk."

Jeremy scoffed. "No, I'm not letting her out of my sight."

"Jeremy, it's okay," I told him. "Just please wait here."

"No, Elena," he repeated.

In a blur, Damon had grabbed Jeremy and sat him in a kitchen chair. "You. Will. Wait," he said again through clenched teeth, an inch away from Jeremy's face.

Jeremy simply nodded and shrunk back against the wood.

Quickly,, Damon walked toward me, gently grabbing my arm and pulling me into the living room.

Once we were out of earshot of Jeremy, he spun to face me, the cold expression on his face falling into one of concern. He ran his hands over my body and I couldn't help but wince when he touched my arm.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, pushing up the sleeve of my t-shirt to look at the now bruised area.

"I'm fine, Damon," I told him, pushing his hand away softly. "What's going on?"

His gaze met mine and he sighed. "I think Jeremy's come in contact with vervain."

"What?" my brow furrowed. "How would he even know what it was?"

Damon looked away and stayed silent. I could tell by his expression he was hiding something.

"Damon," I started slowly, "What's going on? Where were you this morning?"

He looked back to me. "Stefan called."

"When?" I hadn't heard from Stefan since we talked at the hospital.

"This morning."

"And you went to go meet him?"

He nodded. "He told me he's pretty positive Katherine has made her way back to Mystic Falls."

My heart dropped into my stomach as it all made sense. Katherine had been to Jeremy's house. She had helped him remember what Damon was.

"What do we do?"

"I don't know yet," he answered honestly. "Stefan is trying to find where she is exactly."

"Damon she's going after my family." I could fell the panic welling inside of me and tears started to brim along my lower lashes.

His hands came up to hold my face. "No, it's going to be okay," he assured me. "She didn't hurt Jeremy and we're watching Jenna. Everything will be fine."

"You don't know that," I whispered.

"I do," he nodded. "I won't let anything or anyone hurt you or your family, Elena."

* * *

After our talk, Damon and I sat down with Jeremy and told him everything.

I didn't want to, but Damon said we had no other choice now that he remembered. He said with Jeremy being aware of the situation, he might even be able to help by keeping an eye out.

Jeremy handled everything much better than I had expected. The idea of vampires existing didn't seem to faze him too much.

However, I could tell he was angry with me for willingly staying with Damon despite what he was. He asked me more than once, and in front of Damon, to come home and leave the whole situation alone. I simply told him that wasn't possible at this point.

Getting Jeremy to leave was more difficult than convincing him I needed to stay. It was only when we told him Jenna needed him to watch her that he finally agreed, but with the promise he'd be calling multiple times a day and stopping by again in the morning.

We said our goodbyes and then I went back to the living room.

Damon was sitting on the couch. He was bent over, his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands.

I slowly walked toward him. "Damon?"

He sat up straight and looked at me. "Hm?"

I sat down in an antique, straight-back chair. "He's going to be okay, right?"

"Who, Jeremy?"

I nodded.

"He'll be fine, Elena. Him knowing is really for the best anyway. It'll help all of us for him to be more aware of his surroundings. And he'll let us know if Katherine comes around."

I bit down on my lower lip. I still didn't fully agree with him, but the damage had already been done.

I felt the air whip around me as Damon swiftly moved to kneel in front of me. He took my hands in his and waited for our eyes to meet.

"Elena, I don't want you to worry about Katherine or anything else. When I say things will be fine, I mean it." He lifted up until our lips met and kissed me softly. Twice he pulled away, then moved forward again, lightly grazing my lips with his own. He leaned away and slowly my eyes opened. "Do you understand?" he asked.

I nodded that I did.

He leaned forward to kiss me again and as our lips met, a knock sounded against the wood on the front door.

I groaned. I was tired, it was still only 8 AM, and I didn't want to deal with Jeremy anymore.

"Please make him go home," I said against Damon's lips.

He laughed and stood up. "I'll do my best."

I leaned back against the chair and waited to hear the exchange between Jeremy and Damon.

The front door opened and my heart stopped as I heard her voice.

"Good morning, Damon."

* * *

**Authors Note: **Ooooo, sorry about the cliffhanger.

Let me know what you thought of the chapter! I know it was short, but I've been really, really, really busy lately.

As a side note for you guys reading my other story, 'Addictions'. The new chapter should be up soon, but in the meantime, I made a video to go along with the story. Check it out at (and because it won't allow me to post links here, you'll have to copy and paste this address and replace all the (DOT)'s with a period) youtube(DOT)com/watch?v=slJDG2sHvgM

For more information on where I am with stories and what-not, either read my blog at writingtoberemembered(DOT)blogspot(DOT)com or follow me on twitter: APhobiac

See you guys next chapter!


	18. Chapter 18

I jumped out of the chair and was about to rush to the door when Damon held up a hand toward me, indicating for me to stay in the living room. Despite wanting to be at his side, I stopped, rocking on my heels.

From where I was standing, all I could see was Damon's profile lit by the morning sun coming in through the opened door. He was staring with frustrated eyes at the unwelcome guest.

"What do you want?" Damon asked bluntly.

"I guess we're skipping the formalities?" Katherine asked him in a pouty tone. The sound of her voice grated on my nerves and my fingers balled into fists.

Damon's face remained hardened and unchanging, yet I saw pieces of wood splinter from the door as his grip tightened. Apparently her voice had the same affect on him.

Katherine giggled and the nauseating sound sent chills up my spine. "May I come in?" she asked.

"No," Damon denied her request. "You may not."

"Well, it's really not up to you, Damon. You're not the one stopping me. It's your cute little human that's living here now. Oh, Elena?" she called out my name.

I bit down on my lower lip and took a step forward. For some reason, I wanted to see her with my own eyes. Everyone was always attempting to protect me from her and I had grown weary of the back and forth. I was ready to confront her myself. If she had the balls to come to my home and disrupt my family, I should be ballsy enough to stand in front of her and let her see she wasn't breaking us.

Damon's eyes snapped to mine and they narrowed. "Stay there," he commanded.

"Damon, I will find a way to come inside; that you already know. But whether I'm welcomed in or force my way in helps determine the outcome of what happens once I'm there." Her tone had turned icy and I could picture the angry glint that was sure to be shining in her eyes.

As I watched Damon's face, I could tell he didn't doubt her statement. Katherine _would_ get inside eventually. He couldn't keep me hidden in the house forever. But maybe if I agreed to let her come in, she wouldn't wreak hell on the place. I inhaled deeply, making my decision, and began forward again.

I hadn't made it two steps before strong hands gripped my shoulders, stopping me from moving, and a scream caught in my throat. I spun around and came face to face with Stefan.

"What are you doing?" I snapped, letting the abrupt tension seep from my body. I hadn't heard Stefan enter the room.

"Keeping you from making a mistake," he answered quickly.

Katherine began to laugh and both Stefan and I looked toward the door.

"Ever the hero, Stefan. Bravo," she commented mockingly. "Elena, dear, don't you ever get tired of being bossed around by them? Doesn't it grow old?"

I tilted my head to the side slightly and my brow furrowed. I knew Katherine was simply trying to get in my head, but she made a valid point. Either Stefan or Damon countered every move I made. They were the decision makers and if they didn't like my choice, they stopped me. Although it wasn't something I wished to discuss with them at this particular moment, I filed it away to bring up at a later time. All of this grabbing me and carrying me and holding me back _had_ to stop.

"Katherine, we aren't playing this game anymore," Damon told her, interrupting my thoughts. "You need to go."

He began closing the door, but Katherine blurted out a statement that caused my heart to drop in my stomach and the atmosphere to grow dangerously on edge.

"I have Jeremy," she declared simply.

"No!" the scream ripped from my chest and I hurled myself forward. Immediately Stefan's arms wrapped around my torso, holding me back once more. I thrashed against him, trying my hardest to get to the door, to get to Katherine.

Simultaneously I shrieked, "Stefan, let me go!" as Damon yelled, "Stefan, keep her there!"

In an instant, my world teetered on the brink of crashing around me. Jeremy meant everything to me and I couldn't afford to lose him. I would do anything to save him.

"Where is he?" Damon asked, his voice lowering into nearly a growl.

"Let me in and I'll bring him to you," she responded.

"No," he repeated.

I knew that this conversation would lead us nowhere. Damon would continue to refuse Katherine entrance and she would play every hand in her book to change his mind. Even if he agreed, he couldn't say the words that would release her from the hold keeping her out.

This decision was mine alone to make.

"Come in!" I shouted, and I felt Stefan's grip tighten. "Katherine, come in!"

Damon looked to me, his eyes wide with surprise and irritation.

Katherine's form blurred past him and both Stefan and Damon matched the movement to form a protective wall in front of me. Katherine materialized before us and I couldn't help but look around the Damon's side to see her.

She was beautiful. Although we shared the same face, she wore it better. I had seen Katherine once before at Stefan's house, but I had been so overcome with fear that I hadn't been able to really look at her. Even now the memory of that time was murky and overrun by the pressing emotions that took place that day.

Her chestnut brown hair flowed down her back in perfect spirals. She wore a loose fitting purple tank top underneath a black leather jacket, tight jeans, and high-heeled boots. I understood why both Damon and Stefan had fallen for this girl.

But despite the beauty of her outward appearance, you could see the coldness in her eyes. She didn't care what happened to anyone but herself.

"Where is my brother?" I asked, my teeth gritting together.

She folded her arms over her chest, her brown eyes boring into mine. "He's okay…for now."

I could feel my face heating from approaching tears. The tears were not forming out of sadness, but from the infuriating emotions building within me. "Let him go," I instructed boldly. My clenched fists shook at my side.

"In exchange for what?" she tilted her head slightly.

"Give us Jeremy or die. Those are your only options, Katherine," Damon answered. His tone was startlingly even.

Her eyes roamed over the three of us and she seemed unwavering. I expected a fight to break out for the information, so I was more than surprised when she shrugged and said, "He's in the front yard," willingly offering up Jeremy's location.

My feet moved of their own accord for the door. My only thought was that I needed to make sure he was okay. I needed to see for myself that Jeremy was safe.

My actions were rash and foolish and I realized that too late. Katherine only needed a small amount of space between Damon, Stefan, and myself to be able to slip past them and reach me. I gasped as her slender arms wrapped forcefully around my neck and she backed away from the men, using me as a shield.

Her grip was too tight and my fingers scratched at her hardened skin as I fought for air. "Stupid girl," Katherine smirked against my ear. "Your brother is safe and sound at home, just where you sent him."

I stared at the brothers standing in front of us, both with fear etched across their expressions. Their muscles were tensed to spring, yet I knew they didn't want to risk hurting me.

"Let her go," Stefan snarled.

"Take one step and you'll hear the sound of her pretty little neck snapping," Katherine informed them.

"Katherine, what is that you want?" Damon asked and I could hear in his voice it was a struggle from him to continue staying calm.

She laughed. "Why do I always have to _want_ something, Damon? No, no, no, I don't want anything more than to see you and Stefan suffer. When you live forever, things grow boring and I've been bored for much too long. And besides that, I've been waiting for centuries for you or Stefan to come searching for me, but neither of you have. So, I've found you. And ohh let me tell you how much fun I've been having." Her arm tightened around my throat and my struggles grew more severe as she continued choking me. Whooshing noises began in my ears and spots of black and white speckled my vision.

"We thought you were dead, Katherine," Stefan words came out in a rush. "We didn't come looking for you because we didn't think there was anything to look for."

"That's besides the point," she shrugged, releasing her intense hold on my neck, allowing me a bit more air. The sudden release of oxygen to my brain made me dizzy and nauseous. I felt one of her hands lift to run through my hair. "We're all together now," she sighed. "But where to go from here?"

"Let Elena go, Katherine," Stefan urged again.

Katherine huffed and suddenly threw me to the ground. I cried out as I hit the floor painfully. Damon wasted no time in rushing to my side and picking me back up, his arms holding me close to his chest. I rubbed at my sore neck and struggled to regain my breaths.

Before another word could be said, Stefan moved with lightening speed toward Katherine. I knew the move was dangerous and I screamed out for him to stop, but he didn't and the events that followed would forever be etched in my mind.

Stefan grabbed Katherine by the throat and spun her around until she was up against a wall. His vampire features overtook his face and his teeth were poised for her neck. As his fingers tightened their grip and he moved to strike, Katherine pulled a metallic tube from her pocket and smoothly shoved the needle end of it into Stefan's side. His mouth hung open and a gargled groan rose from his lips as he dropped to the floor. Katherine watched with amused eyes as Stefan's skin lost its' color and turned pale. Damon released me and ran for his brother, leaving me alone to watch in horror. Stefan rolled to his back, his head lolling over to face me. Our eyes connected and I felt tears spill over my cheeks. Damon lifted Stefan against his chest and Stefan's lips curved into what I knew was meant to be a smile. Agony rocketed through me as his body fell to pieces before us, ashes spreading on and around Damon.

My body was shaking and I was choking worse than when Katherine was holding me. I slowly fell to my knees, a new wave of shock hitting me. My chest burned as I gasped for air and my hands reached up to grip my hair. Although I understood what had just happened, I couldn't wrap my mind around it.

Stefan was dead.

Katherine's laughter caused me to look away from what was left of Stefan. Her smile was sickening.

She reached into her other pocket and pulled out a tube that matched the one that had just killed Stefan. As her eyes leisurely moved to Damon, my stomach lurched.

"Don't!" I pleaded with her. "Please, no!" I tried to stand, but my uneasy legs sent my back down to my knees.

Damon looked up at her and the rage he was feeling was apparent in his eyes. His fangs appeared along his gums and the dark veins sprouted across his face. "I will tear you to pieces," he growled sinisterly through clenched teeth.

"Damon, no!" I cried. I knew Katherine wouldn't hesitate to use whatever was in that tube to hurt him. I couldn't bare to lose him, too.

Damon's fierce stare remained. His eyes were wild and his chest was heaving. The man that I loved was nowhere to be seen in the animalistic expression on Damon's face. He was beyond controlling, beyond reeling in.

"Well, Damon?" Katherine smirked. "Are you going to do something or not?"

"Don't," I whispered, sobs now breaking from my chest. "I need you, Damon."

Instead of a response to my plea, a deafening growl escaped Damon as he lunged for Katherine. With a blow to her chest, Katherine was rammed against a wall, the metal tube falling from her hands.

The wall cracked as Damon pounded her head into it and nearby glass from a window shattered. Katherine reached forward and wrapped her fingers around the collar of his shirt. With a roaring growl, she pulled him forward, grabbed his throat and spun them both around so that he was now against the wall. In a blur, she reached down and grabbed the deadly tube.

Her arm rose and the tip of the needle glinted in the light. My heartbeat was pounding so loudly in my ears I couldn't even recognize my own scream when it passed through my lips.

Suddenly, Katherine stopped all movements and turned her head toward me. Her face was now that of a vampire and her blackened eyes narrowed, zoning in on my lips. I felt the warm liquid dripping under my nose and I gasped as I understood her distraction.

My nose was bleeding.

Time seemed to stand still in the moments between Katherine lifting the needle and turning to look at me. In that brief second, Damon took advantage of her faltering attention by grabbing her lifted wrist with his own hand and forcing it downward until she was plunging the needle deep into her own abdomen.

She screamed and stumbled back from Damon, yanking the metallic tube from her body. She dropped it and I saw beads of clear liquid drip from the needle.

I instantly realized what had been inside: vervain.

She fell to the ground and neither I nor Damon moved to help her. We both watched as her limbs began to stiffen and the same crippling color that Stefan experienced washed over her. She looked to Damon and mumbled his name as her body began to break apart.

As ashes scattered on the floor, my body welcomed a numbness I had long forgotten. With a heavy heart, I looked up and met Damon's hollow eyes. He was standing motionlessly against the wall with his shoulders slumped.

The icy blue pools stared back at me and I could see their depths were filled endlessly with untouchable pain. His breaths were shallow and his lips parted barely for the air to move to and from his lungs.

Slowly, he moved from his place to approach me. He mimicked my position and knelt to his knees in front of me.

I watched with biting sorrow as a single tear fell from his eye and rolled lazily down his cheek. A gust of wind blew in from the hole in the shattered window and picked up the ashy remains, swirling them around the hardwood floor.

And that was how Katherine destroyed our world.

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**Authors Note:** Okay, this will be a pretty long authors note.

Wow, I know it took forever for this chapter to come out, but I got so caught up with my entry for Fandoms Fight the Floods.

Let me know what you thought of this chapter. I'm kind of heartbroken after re-reading it (even though I wrote it). And for those that keep asking, this is not the last chapter of the story, don't worry. Lol.

As always, for more information on where I am with stories and what-not, either read my blog at (REPLACE THE DOT'S WITH ACTUAL PERIODS) writingtoberemembered(DOT)blogspot(DOT)com or follow me on twitter: APhobiac

* * *

Alright, for my Fandoms Fight the Floods one-shot, I'm giving you guys a teaser. If you find the story interesting, you can donate until the end of March to receive the compilation of stories.

(If you don't know what Fandoms Fight the Floods is, read here: fandomsfightthefloods(DOT)blogspot(DOT)com/p/home(DOT)html)

Here's the information about my one-shot:

My story is called _A Collegiate Experience_  
Rated M for all of your favorite smut.  
Delena one-shot.  
Summary: Elena is forced to visit the college she graduated from and learns more during this trip than the four years she paid for.

If you want to see the banner for this story, go to my blog!

**TEASER FOR _A Collegiate Experience_:**

**

* * *

**I stared at him incredulously. I didn't understand why he would lie to get me into his office and I didn't really appreciate it. And I was starting to get really hungry. I picked up my shoes and stood. "Well, I'm pretty hungry… so I'm gonna head to the food court. You can join me if you want, but if not, again, it was nice meeting you." I turned around and started for the door. His declaration drastically altered the atmosphere in the office and made me uncomfortable.

My hand grasped the silver metal handle and attempted to turn it, but it wouldn't budge. "Hey, I think your door is loc—," I started, turning to look over my shoulder at Damon. My words were caught short when I realized he was standing barely a foot away from me. I turned entirely around, my back pressed against the door. "What are you doing?" I asked quickly.

He lifted a hand and gently ran his knuckles along my jaw line, creating the same electricity as earlier.

* * *

And that's all you get! If you want to read more, go donate a minimum of $5 to the cause and you'll get this story plus soooo many more from some amazing authors.

See you guys next chapter!

Oh! One thing I forgot I wanted to share with you guys. I got tickets to the Vampire Diaries EyeCon event at the end of March, so come March 27, I will be meeting Mr. Ian Somerhalder himself. I. Am. So. Excited. :D


	19. Chapter 19

Damon and I separated us from the outside world for the next week. Damon placed a wooden board over the hole in the window and we locked the doors. I answered Jeremy's phone calls only once to tell him that everything was over.

Damon spent the days drinking. I spent my days watching him.

He didn't sleep. He sat blankly in the straight back chair in the living room, staring at the place Stefan had died. He had a glass full of some alcoholic drink at all times.

He never expressed any sort of emotion after that one tear. He didn't show sadness or anger. There was no need to be revengeful because Katherine was already dead. I could see that he was numb inside. And I was okay with that, because I was, too.

I lay on the couch and watched him, finding peace in the fact that I wasn't alone in not knowing how to cope. I only got up to take care of the necessary human tasks when they beckoned and to change clothes.

As I walked from the kitchen on the eighth day, nibbling on some saltine crackers I found in the pantry, I frowned as I took in Damon's features. His skin had turned frighteningly pale and his ice blue eyes stood out against the dark circles beneath them. His lips were thinner and his hair had lost its' shine. He hadn't eaten at all since before the incident.

I slowly walked over to him and placed my hand on his shoulder. "Damon?" I started softly. His eyebrows lifted in response but he didn't move. "You should eat."

"I'm not hungry," he responded and his voice was raspy. He lifted the glass to his lips and took a swig.

I shook my head defiantly. "You are. Your body is starving and it shows."

His heard turned to look up at me and the pain in his eyes caught me off guard. "How do you do it?" he asked quietly.

I didn't understand the question. "Do what?"

His brow furrowed as he answered. "Mourn."

I stared at him with my mouth hanging open. I hadn't expected the question and I had no idea how to answer it. Instead of replying I sat the crackers on the coffee table and climbed in his lap, my legs hanging off to one side and my head snuggling into the crook of his neck. I felt his body stiffen beneath me. I reached up with one hand and gently rested it on his cheek. "I don't know," I finally whispered.

His body relaxed slightly and his head tilted to rest on top of mine. "How did you do it when you lost your parents?"

I shrugged and closed my eyes, listening to the breaths entering and exiting his lungs. "I didn't, really. I just… shut down, I guess, until it became normal for Jenna to be my guardian and I fell into a new routine."

"Is that what we'll have to do? Fall into a new routine where Stefan doesn't exist? Things will be okay then?"

I sighed. "They'll never be okay. But we'll accept the routine for what it is and keep going."

"Do you regret it?" he whispered.

"Regret what?"

"Choosing me instead of him?"

I sat away from his chest and my eyebrows pulled together. "No, Damon, I don't. I wouldn't change how things went. Stefan knew that I loved you."

"Should I regret taking you away from him?" As he spoke the words, his voice cracked and I saw the muscles in his jaw tense. "I ruined his life, Elena."

I shook my head and placed both of my hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look at me. "No, you didn't. You didn't take me away from him, I chose to be with you. He didn't hate you for it, Damon. He might've hated me for a little bit, but I know at the end everything was fine. You and I were meant to be together."

His eyes closed and he inhaled deeply. "I don't know how to move past this."

My heart clenched as I watched him. "We'll get through it, I promise."

He nodded and as he did so, a few tears escaped his closed lids. As I watched him confront his emotions, I knew he was taking the right steps toward moving on. I decided that I would help Damon grieve first, and then I would take my own time later. Damon had always protected me. He had always made sure I was okay and now our roles were reversed. I needed to take care of him. This time I needed to be there for _him_.

The responsibility of the situation rested calmly on my shoulders and I accepted it willingly. Slowly, I removed one of my hands from his cheek and tilted it until I was able to press my wrist against his lips. His eyes shot open to meet mine and his expression was surprised. I simply nodded, knowing that this was the best way I could help him right now. I hadn't put vervain in any of my food for weeks, finding I had no reason to. My blood was clean for him to drink and I was offering myself to him.

Softly, he kissed my wrist before allowing his fangs to extend. He tilted to the side to sit his alcoholic drink on the floor and then I watched in silence as his lips parted and he quickly jabbed the sharp points into my vein.

My teeth clenched together as he began drinking the warm liquid flowing from my body. Immediately color began to return to his skin and I smiled at the sight.

After a few seconds, he pulled his head away and his mouth was painted red. His shoulders lifted with heavy breaths and slowly the vampire features disappeared from his face.

My brow furrowed. "Damon, that couldn't have possibly been enough," I scolded. I had expected him to take enough to leave me light headed and sleepy.

A small twinkle sparked in his eyes and his smirk appeared.

Abruptly, Damon lifted me from the chair and ran us up to the bedroom. The door flew open as he kicked it and I landed on my back in the bed with a small shriek, the sheets poofing around me from the sudden burst of air beneath them. He hovered over me and I gasped as his teeth suddenly found the bend of my neck. I immediately felt the pull of my blood leaving me again.

Part of my mind was sending off warning signals that Damon wasn't entirely stable and maybe this wasn't safe. I had an instinctive urge to fight off my attacker. The other part of my mind, however, recognized that this was Damon and I trusted him not to hurt me.

My hands wrapped around his head and my fingers intertwined in his hair, holding him close to me, yet my muscles ached to pull him away. I closed my eyes and concentrated on taking deep breaths.

I yelped when I felt another stab lower on my shoulder and I reflectively jerked at his hair. He moaned in response and drank harder. My lids started to get heavy. "Damon," I said softly, "I think you've taken enough." I gently tried pulling his head up but his arms flew up and pinned down my hands on either side of my head. My brow furrowed and I tried looking down at him. "Damon?" My heart began to pound in my ears and a pins and needles sensation began to splinter along my arm and to my torso, places that weren't getting enough blood. "Damon, don't hurt me," I whispered. I didn't know what else to say to get him to stop and I was beginning to get frightened.

Immediately his head lifted and I expected to see the crazed expression that had taken over his eyes. I whimpered softly and felt tears pool along my waterline. "Please," I begged. I knew that if I couldn't break through whatever mental state he was in, he wasn't going to be able to control if he hurt me or not.

Gradually the blood lust in his eyes melted away and was replaced with a mixture of horror and sadness. Relief flooded over me as he scrambled away from the bed and his hands flew into his hair. "Elena, oh god, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

I remained lying on my back and reached up to touch the four new wounds along my neck and shoulder. Blood coated my fingertips and I frowned. Blinking away a haze that had started to settle over me, I sat up with shaky movements and sighed.

Damon was pacing the room and I knew he felt awful for scaring me.

I knew what had just happened wasn't his fault. When I had started dating a vampire, I knew there would be risks. I didn't want him to feel bad for this; at least he had stopped in time.

"Come here," I told him as I patted the spot beside me on the bed. He looked to me with wary eyes but did as I asked. I turned toward him and tried to smile. "It's okay. I'm fine. I just got a little scared." I was still in the position of taking care of Damon. The last thing he needed was additional guilt about this.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

I rotated the shoulder he had been drinking from and winced when it stung. I saw his muscles tense and I rushed to recover. "It's just a little sore. It'll go away."

He reached forward and pulled me into a hug, holding me close to his chest. "You were right, I was hungry, and it was stupid of me to think I could drink from you while in that state. Please forgive me. I'm so sorry. I _will_ make it up to you."

Before I could respond, he began kissing down my neck and over the places he had bit me. His hands fell to my hips and gradually began sliding up under my shirt, causing me to gasp. "Damon, what are you doing?"

He looked up at me from under his thick lashes and grinned. "Making it up to you."

He lifted back up and gently placed his warm lips against my own before I had the opportunity to protest. As his tongue ran along my lower lip, a fog swept over my mind causing me to lose all concentration and I accepted the offer, allowing him to seek out my mouth. Even if I had wanted to stop, there was no resisting Damon. His sensual touches were enough to drive me wild and he knew exactly how to brandish his fingers as weapons. My emotions were like a yo-yo, one second I was scared, the next I was horribly turned-on.

As we kissed, he slowly lowered me back down on the bed, his hands returning to my exposed sides. I felt his fingers slide up and brush against the outer curve of my breasts. My nipples immediately hardened and I could see them pressing up against the fabric of the tank top. I could never deny my arousal when my body gave it away.

Damon's lips trailed away from my mouth and down my jaw to my shoulder. He began kissing and sucking on the wounds, not drawing new blood, but licking away the remnants of earlier. His hands ran up to my shoulders and I lifted slightly so that he could pull my shirt over my head. As my breasts became exposed to the chilly air, the peaks stiffened more and I heard a low groan emerge from Damon's lips. I looked to meet his eyes and the crystal orbs were filled with an entirely new type of lust.

His soft lips finished at my neck and shoulder and he pushed himself lower on the bed until his mouth found a nipple. Gently, he sucked it into his mouth and instantaneously a pleasing sensation bolted from my nipple to the spot in between my legs. My back arched giving him more access to my chest and my head pushed into the plush mattress. His fingers tweaked the other nipple between two fingers and his lips caressed the one they were attached to. I allowed my eyes to flutter close and my mouth to part slightly as he worked. I could feel moisture gathering at the apex of my legs and each time he bit down on my nipple, my legs automatically clenched together to find some sort of friction to relieve the building tension.

His free hand traveled down my side and slipped under the hems of my cotton shorts and panties. His fingers paused right above the folds and my mind was screaming at him to continue further.

He pulled away from my chest and I immediately missed the contact. I looked down at him and saw that his face was to my stomach. His breathing was labored and I could see the faintest crease of a furrowed brow.

"What's wrong?" I asked quickly, afraid I had done something on accident. He shook his head and took deep breaths, obviously trying to calm down. I reached for his face and gently lifted it. "Damon, what's going on?"

As he looked up, my heart fell into my stomach. His fangs were clearly exposed and the reddish veins zagged along his skin. The blue in his eyes was completely hidden by the black, but I could still make out the sorrow in them.

"I can't make it go away," he whispered.

"You're still hungry," I responded and it wasn't a question.

He nodded and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Elena."

I closed my eyes and let my head fall back. I knew how difficult this must be for him as I laid half naked below him, blood pumping furiously beneath my aroused skin. I was tempting him by simply being me and it was nothing either of us could help.

But I had promised myself that we would get through whatever was thrown at us and we would do it together. I was his and he was mine and this was a part of our lives that we would never be able to change. With a deep inhale, I opened my eyes and looked back to him. "Okay."

"Okay, what?" he asked in a cautious tone.

Slowly, I ran my hand down his arm until it rested atop his hand beneath my shorts. I laced my fingers with his and guided him down until his fingers were gliding between my folds. I sucked in a sharp breath of air.

I looked back up to his confused eyes and maintained eye contact as I stretched my head back, lengthening my neck and exposing it to him.

I saw the moment when he understood and he shook his head. "I can't, love. I'm afraid I'll hurt you."

I ran my tongue along my lips and let out a shuddering breath. "Just make sure you're making me feel _good_ at the same time," I whispered, pressing his hand down on my sensitive area to make sure he understood what I meant.

I could see the fear in his eyes, but we both knew I would remain insistent until it happened. I pulled my hand back from my shorts, leaving his there, and lifted both of my hands to his face. Slowly, I pulled him down until his lips were pressed against my neck. I could feel the tips of his pearly fangs against my skin and a chill ran through me. "Bite me," I commanded softly.

Before he obeyed, his fingers down below began to massage me softly, causing my eyes to close and my head to fall back more. He pinched the bundle of nerves before sliding farther and teasing my entrance. My breaths quickened and I panted with his moves, writing my hips against him.

I forgot entirely about his job at my neck as I focused on the sensations shooting from my center and I cried out when he finally pierced my skin. Unlike before when his bite frightened me, the pain sparked along my body and heightened the intensity of his fingers exploring me below. I could feel the blood slowly leaving me, but my mind was too preoccupied to care.

His free hand went back to my breast and he lifted it in his palm, rubbing his thumb across the pebbled top.

Every nerve in my body was alive as pleasure shot from my neck to my breast to my wet middle. My hands clenched at the bed sheets beneath me and I moaned loudly, enjoying the workings of Damon.

As one of his fingers slipped inside of me, my hips lifted to meet his hand and a gargled groan escaped me. Damon pulled away from my neck and I felt droplets of blood land on my chest. He began kissing across my body until he found a nipple and I bucked my hips in response. He then left the spot and traveled lower, smearing blood across my body as he moved. He pulled his hand free of my shorts and I bit down on my lower lip as I lost the sensation of him pleasing me. I felt him grab my shorts and tear them completely from my body. I opened my eyes and as I looked down, I saw him connect with me below.

His hands pushed apart my legs. His tongue ran between the folds of my body and his fingers returned to my opening. Two slid inside and pumped furiously. His mouth caressed my clit and he sucked and licked simultaneously.

"Daaamon... Ughhhh..." I moaned and closed my eyes again. My hands lifted to my own breasts and Damon's free hand moved up to one, maneuvering my hand so that I was squeezing liberally. I had never before touched myself, knowing that it wouldn't feel the same, but with his hand on top of mine controlling me, the sensation was remarkable.

Light flicks of his tongue started the tightening feeling in my abdomen and his fast moving fingers coiled it more. He lifted away from the area and began kissing back up. As his lips hovered to the right of my navel, his fingers kept moving and his thumb replaced his lips at my clit, making quick circling movements. I could feel my release approaching and Damon guided my hand to find my nipple with my own fingers. I pinched and rolled it, panting and moaning with each touch. As my climax neared, I felt Damon kiss my stomach once before diving his teeth in. The pain sent me over the edge. My body stiffened and a long, loud moan broke from my chest as the tightly coiled bundle exploded, showering my nerves in pleasing waves. "God! Ungghhhh! Uh! Oh!" My vaginal walls contracted and released against his still moving fingers several times and I felt my thighs growing wet. Heat shot through my limbs and spots littered my sight as he continued drawing blood and my orgasm continued to hit me.

Before I could entirely come down from the orgasm, Damon pulled away, and undid the buttons of his pants. In a flash, they were slightly lowered and I felt his hardened flesh ram into me with no warning.

"Fuck!" he groaned, falling forward until he was holding himself up with his hands on the mattress.

He leaned down and kissed me and I could taste my arousal and my blood on his lips. He lifted us up and turned us around until he was on his back and I was straddling his waist, his cock buried deep within me. His hands grabbed my hips and gently he began lifting and lowering me. My lips pressed together and I let my head fall back as he rubbed against my overly sensitive center.

I began moving myself with the strength of my legs and Damon allowed me to set my own pace. His hands went up to grasp my breasts as I rode him and I leaned forward slightly so that he had better access to my nipples.

Our breathing increased and I moaned each time I slid down his shaft. "Ugh... ugh... Mmmm... ohh..."

His hands wrapped around me and abruptly he lifted me and turned us over. He began ramming into me roughly and quickly.

"Fuck, Elena," he groaned as he rocked against me. "So...fucking…hot," he panted between thrusts.

I wrapped my legs around his waist and locked my ankles together, altering the angle he was entering me. Now each time he moved, maximum contact was made with my clit and a new tightness began winding.

He grabbed my hands and held them above my head as his lips sucked on my nipples.

"Oh god!" I cried out as I neared my second climax. "Yeah... yeah... yeah…" I muttered as he slammed into me repeatedly, rocking the bed beneath us furiously.

He lifted up from my chest and when I looked up at him, a feeling of accomplishment rushed over me as I saw the features of his face were normal. He lowered his lips to my ear and I moaned as he whispered, "I fucking love you."

Instantly my second orgasm hit me and I screamed his name, lifting my hips to meet him thrust for thrust. "Oh! Daamon! Unnngghh…"

His movements became sporadic and it wasn't long before streams of curses were flowing from his mouth and his cock was pulsing inside of me.

"Ohhhhh, Elena," he groaned against my ear. "Fuck…"

His body fell slack on top of me and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, my legs still around his waist.

His lips kissed my neck softly as we waited for our ragged breathing to calm.

Finally, I released him and he rolled over and slid out of me.

We both lay on our backs, staring up at the ceiling. My thrumming heart was slowing and my breath was nearly normal.

My body ached all over and I smiled slightly at the sensation. If the worst I was going to feel after helping Damon get better was achy, then we were doing well.

His hand reached over and wrapped around my own, lacing our fingers together.

"Thank you," he whispered.

I giggled. "Thank _you._"

"So, is this where we start accepting our new normal?" he asked softly. "I mean, I could definitely get used to this new routine," he teased.

I nodded and smiled. "It is. Right now we focus on us getting better. You need me and I need you."

"I do need you," he agreed.

"I know," I responded, turning my head to look at him.

His head rolled toward me and our eyes connected. "So we find a new balance, right? Where we can live and grieve and flourish and love all at the same time?" he asked.

"Yes, because no matter what we do, we'll never be able to concentrate on one thing without destroying the others."

"We're walking an awfully obscure line, don't ya' think?" he grinned. "Our balancing act is kind of dangerous."

I laughed and rolled to my side, propping my head on my palm and my elbow on the bed. "Is the big bad vampire afraid of a little obscurity?"

He turned to face me, his cocky grin spreading across his perfect lips. "Not a chance," he whispered before leaning forward and gently kissing me. He pulled back after a moment and the joyous spirit alive in the features of his face thrilled me. He narrowed his eyes and grinned. "Bring on that obscure line."

* * *

**A/N:** Aaaaaaand Fin.

So, guys, thoughts? This story definitely didn't go how I expected as I was writing, but they never do. I'm pleased with the result, however. Everyone always knew Damon and Elena would be together, especially in one of my stories. Lol.

I can't wait to read the reviews. What were your thoughts on the final love scene? :P

Thank you guys for reading. All of the reviews and subscribers mean so much to me and I hope you all stick around to find out what I have in store for other stories. If you're not reading 'Addictions', you should be. Lol. And I have an awesome idea for another story that may post soon.

Thank you all again!


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